Funny You Should Ask...

It's been twenty days since my last post.

Starting in November, I'll be changing my schedule and working only four days a week. I'll still be traveling and you'll still see me on the road at conventions and conferences in different cities around the country.

But, I have begun already to scale down my time spent online and updating the blog. That's why I'm reaching out and asking fellow booklovers, kidlit bloggers and the audience of readers who enjoy our books (the children they were created for) for help.

Kane/Miller is a company that values everyone's input about how to spread the word about our award-winning children's books from around the world. We're a small, independent company with much to say about our books, but we want to hear from you.

What do you want to read about? Is there a comment, story, or observation you'd like to make about one of our books, authors, illustrators, or company in general?

I'm opening up the Kane/Miller Kidlit blog to you, our loyal readers. Please email me if you'd like to contribute as a guest blogger and attach your submission. I promise I'll do my best to include your writing in some capacity.

Literacy Evangalist

Cybils nominations open tomorrow, October 1st. How can you participate?

Jen Robinson, Literacy Evangalist for the 2008 Cybils award, has several ideas.

This year, awards will be given in nine categories (Easy Readers, Fantasy & Science Fiction, Fiction Picture Books, Graphic Novels, Middle Grade Novels, Non-Fiction Middle Grade/Young Adult Books, Non-Fiction Picture Books, Poetry, Young Adult Novels). Anyone can nominate books in these categories (one nomination per person per category). Nominated titles must be published between January 1st and October 15th of this year, and the books must be in English (or bilingual, where one of the languages is English). To nominate titles, visit the Cybils blog between October 1st and 15th. A separate post will be available for each category - simply nominate by commenting on those individual posts. If you are not sure which category to choose for a particular book, a questions thread will also be available.

The Cybils were founded by Anne Boles Levy and Kelly Herold. This year's winners will be announced on February 14th, 2009.

Book Blogger Appreciation Week

I think it's only fitting that the one year blogoversary of Kane/Miller Kidlit falls during Book Blogger Appreciation Week.

If it weren't for the many great bloggers who inspired me, I wouldn't be here writing this post today.

Every time I blink there seems to be a new book blogger that I'm introduced to. I wish I had the time - and the room - to include them all here.

Many kidlit bloggers are listed on the sidebar under What We Read. Many more can be found on the JacketFlap site or on Blog Central, a list of Children's/YA lit bloggers that Anastasia Suen put together.

Who are your favorite book bloggers? Show them some appreciation today by giving them a virtual high five or a virtual hug, depending on how loyal you are to their blog!

I'm sending the book bloggers that I know of comment love which is always appreciated.

Brillante Weblog Premio Award

Anastasia Suen nominated the Kane/Miller Kidlit blog for the Brillante Weblog Premio Award so I'm doing my part by adhering to the rules:

1. The award may be displayed on a winner’s blog.

2. Add a link to the person you received the award from.

3. Nominate up to seven other blogs.
   

4. Add their links to your blog.
   

5. Add a message to each person that you have passed the award on in the comments section of their blog.

Because I already have a blogroll which is included in the sidebar, I thought I'd use this as an opportunity to introduce blogs which I have discovered from our common membership in the Book Blogs social network, created over at NING.

Here are my nominations:

1. Aloi Reads
2. Reading, Writing, and Ranting
3. Out of the Blue
4. booklit: a literary handout
5. Reading Room

If you've guessed method of selecting the blogs (and bloggers) in this list, you'll be pleased to know that this is where a contest comes into play.

In the comments field, provide me with a list of the countries represented from the above bloggers and you'll be entered to win a set of our Fall 2008 titles (Ironically, winners must provide us with a U.S. address for which we will use to send the books to). Email must be included (it won't appear on line) in order to be eligible.

And, in case you're not already aware of the upcoming blogger events, check out the following links for details about Blog Day and Book Blogger Appreciation Week.

What's On Your Nightstand?

I realize that this will be considered cheating, but I'm asking those who truly are interested in what I'm reading to head on over to GoodReads for details.

For those who want to participate by adding your blog to the list (or comment below the post), Jennifer over at 5 Minutes for Books is asking readers - the 4th Tuesday of every month - to share.

Happy Father's Day!

My mom is great at keeping me up to date with the parenting sites, blogs and articles that she comes across in her daily reads. This morning she sent a link to an article from the St. Paul Pioneer Press about daddy bloggers and the rise of stay-at-home dads and those who choose to write about their experiences and point of views of parenthood:

Collide and Converge
Dad Gone Mad
Tapirs Poop
Matt Logelin
Maya Reads
This Little Piggy Had Tofu
Team Trixie
Schuyler's Monster Blog
Jonathan Rundman
Looky Daddy

And don't forget to check out these great daddy blogs as well:

Dad's House
The Busy Dad Blog
Dorky Dad
Daddy in a Strange Land
From Here to Paternity
D is for Dad
Dad Thing
meta DAD
Discovering Dad
DIY Father
Try to Keep Up
Hey, Look What I Can Do
Makes Me Wanna Holler
A Man Among Mommies
I Have to Wipe His What?

These dads are all unique in their writing style and of course what they focus on. You'll find blogs written by single dads, stepfathers, new dads, stay-at-home dads, expectant fathers, dads who blog about raising their kids vegan or raising multi-racial children, from fathers who are also widows, and dads who blog about single life and dating. There's something here for everyone.

Happy Father's Day to all dad-types out there. Enjoy your special day.

Working Dad: An Unauthorized Guide to Parenting

I follow many blogs these days - about literature, parenting, education - you name it! One particular Daddy blogger, who writes for the Seattle Post-Intelligencer, wrote a post this week that surprised me. Apparently, the internet is not a threat to children's reading habits:

The majority of kids, 62 percent, would rather read a book on paper than on the Internet, and even more, 68 percent, said they love or like reading books for fun.

Read more from the Working Dad...

A World of Characters: From Antonella to Ziba

UPDATE (June 18): I received an email from someone asking for clarification about the contest rules.

There is one name listed for each separate character. There are some names listed twice (Sebastian, Paul, Lisa) due to the fact that these are characters - from separate books - with the same name. I neglected to point out that there is one character listed who appears in more than one book within the same series. I apologize for the confusion and will select the winner according to the number of correct books listed for each character found on the alphabetical list.



Thanks to the Children's Literature Book Club, I've been looking at the characters of our books in a whole new way. Here's my version of our alphabetical list of guys, gals and critters great and small:

A
Anna
Antonella
Apollo / Apolo

B
Benny
Bobbie

C
Cherry
Claude
Coco

D
Daisy
Dan
Dave
Dougal

E
Eddie / Eduardo

F
Fanny
Figaro
Fox
Fox
Flusi

G
George
Grace
Growl
Guji Guji

H
Hannah

I

J
Jack Russell
Jeremy
Jonathon

K
Kali
Kevin

L
Lisa
Lisa
Lizard
Lucky

M
Madame Coco
Marc
Marta
Minji
Monique
Mustafa

N
Nico

O
Otto

P
Paul
Paul
Perfect
Pip

Q

R
Riley
Rosa
Rosaura
Rose

S
Sala
Sally
Sebastian
Sebastian
Selma
Shau-yu
Snake
Sophie
Sosu

T
Thorfinn
Thomas
Tibili
Troy

U

V

W
Wilfrid
Wombat

X

Y
Yoon

Z
Ziba

And, because we haven't put together a contest lately, the person who provides the most correct number of book titles that each character belongs to will win a FREE set of our fall titles. I'll give you a hint for the fall titles that haven't been released yet:

Thorfinn is from Singing to the Sun
Yoon is from Something for School
Growl ... The Story of Growl
George... The Big Little Book of Happy Sadness
Snake & Lizard from... (you guessed it) Snake and Lizard
Wombat & Fox... (yep) Wombat & Fox
Perfect and Pip from...The Wicket Chronicles (Books 1 & 2: Ely Plot and Fen Gold)

Readers have until August 1, 2008 to respond. Winners will be notified via email and in the K/M weekly newsletter, scheduled to be sent out on August 6, 2008.

Kane/Miller Kidlit Drink Nite

Join us Thursday, May 29th at 7pm for the 2008 BEA Kane/Miller Kidlit Drink Nite.

Firefly

11720 Ventura Blvd
Studio City, CA 91604

Phone: 818 762 1833

On line review:

Buildings in Los Angeles tend to be faceless blocks from the outside, so don’t be disappointed to find that Firefly has no sign outside indicating where it is. It hasn’t stopped those in-the-know driving over the hills to Ventura for nights of fine dining and classy drinks. The bar is done up like a millionaire’s drawing room with antiques, oil paintings, leather couches, plush sofas and shelves of books - very Getty. The dining room is beyond this, an open-air patio serving Mediterranean type dishes to suit the al fresco setting, among them gorgeous grilled pancetta-wrapped shrimp, filet mignon and various cheeses. The wine and drinks served by stylish staff are just as tasty. Start off with an apple-tini, go on to California wine and by the time you’re on the brandy you’ll be gazing at the stars above you - or at the tables next to you. A classy tucked away gem.

Teaching Tolerance Tuesday

Read. Imagine. Talk. I'm stealing this "day" from them...Teaching Tolerance Tuesday was created by Jenny to help create dialogues and discussions about literature that will help readers challenge their ideas and beliefs about people different than themselves...one of the basic ideas behind Kane/Miller.

Ziba Came on a Boat, written by Liz Lofthouse with illustrations by Robert Ingpen, should do just that - challenge the reader's ideas about those who flee from their homes, their lives and often times, other family members, to travel to a new land, a place unknown to them other than what has come known to them as a better way to live.

When I first read this book, I was unsure about its appeal. As a parent, I read it with my child in mind, not realizing that these types of dark, haunting stories are just as important to this generation's education as any other book might be. In fact, this book might be even more important for U.S. born children to understand, somewhat, where other children and new neighbors have come from.

I'm pleased that after reading Ziba a dozen more times, I have come to appreciate the beauty behind the illustrations by 1986 Hans Christian Andersen award-winner, Robert Ingpen, as well as the lyrical prose of Liz Lofthouse.

Teachers and librarians have embraced this book for its startling imagery and portrayal of a young girl from Afghanistan, fleeing from the gunfire and - although it is not known for sure - leaving her father behind.

Recently selected as a USBBY Outstanding International Book and a 2008 NCSS Notable Trade Book for Young People, Ziba Came on a Boat is sure to become a classroom textbook for discussions on immigration, diversity and of course, teaching tolerance.

Interview with Kane/Miller Publisher

Kira Lynn, Kane/Miller's Publisher, was interviewed recently for Cynsations, the blog written by author, educator, speaker, and of course, kidlit blogger, Cynthia Leitich Smith.

The questions she was asked:

What kind of young reader were you?

What inspired you to make children's literature your career focus?

How about publishing specifically?

How did you prepare for this career?

How did you break into the business?

How did you get from day one to your current position?

What makes Kane/Miller special? How is it different from other houses?

Would you please describe the list?

How are your books acquired?

Why is international/multicultural publishing important to you? To young readers?

In what ways does the house work with and/or reach out to teachers and librarians?

What new directions should we know about?

What new books are you especially excited about in 2008?

How have you seen publishing change for the better since you began your career? What are the new challenges?

What do you do outside your editorial/publishing life?

Is there anything you would like to add?

Her answers can be found here...

The Blogabilities are Endless

Every time I blink, another blog is created. I continue to discover noteworthy blogs dedicated to children's literature or reading, in general. Each one is just as creative as the next since its the personality of the writers that make them each what they are.

Here are just a few blogs that I discovered in the last few days:

BITCHING ABOUT BAD BOOKS

This is quite fun. It's one reader's thoughts as she dissects the words she reads and what occurs in her mind as she reads them. Her site does come with a few warnings:

Some Warnings
Bad books and bitching combined can get mean. If you can’t stand it, don’t read it. Nobody forces you to. I do respect the determination and efforts of the authors who manage to finish and publish a book. But that doesn’t mean that the book is good. Nobody’s perfect and some people just can’t write.

I speak and write English pretty well but I’m no native. Errors and faulty grammar will occur.

I also got sidetracked on her other site (equally amusing).

On a completely separate subject, I also found READ TO ME, DAD, A Blog for that New Dad in all of Us to be quite entertaining. Check out this recent post about this dad's first full day with his daughter, Eva.

Don't you wish all dads were like this? My dad has never changed a diaper in his life. Seriously.

Blogger's Tea at the Adolphus

Kane/Miller was one of five sponsoring publishers at the Dallas Blogger's Tea at the Adolphus put together by author, consultant and teacher, Anastasia Suen.

Along with representatives from August House, Lee & Low, Peachtree, and Charlesbridge, we were surrounded by great librarians, consultants, authors, and of course kidlit bloggers.

Each and every person in attendance walked away with a book (or two) and several authors and illustrators were on hand to sign books as well.

Anastasia put together a wonderful event and we look forward to seeing what's in store for next year.

BLOG CENTRAL

Author, blogger, consultant, and teacher, Anastasia Suen has just completed yet another fabulous project. Blog Central is her latest creation and she's done an amazing job putting together this directory for all things kidlit related.

Where does she find the time?

Random Quiz for Today

I love online quizzes. This is my big confession of the day. I found this quiz from Becky's blog, Becky's Book Review.

I don't believe the results of every single quiz I take but this one was spot-on. I am 3:15pm which says a whole heck-uv-a-lot about me, I dare say.

What Time of Day Are You?

New Year and New Resources

I can't tell you how much time I spend reading. I read blogs, magazines, newspapers, newsletters, email announcements and websites to keep myself informed of the latest news, reviews, events and happenings in the book world.

Over the holiday, there was a plethora of mail that had been stacked up, waiting for me to read (and discard). I browsed through it all (mostly) but was very excited to discover some interesting lists in the NAIBA Newsletter:

GREAT BOOKSTORE WEBSITES:
Beauty and the Book (Jefferson, TX)
The Bookloft (Great Barrington, MA)
Book Soup (Hollywood, CA)
Breathe Books (Baltimore, MD)
Devaney, Doak & Garrett Booksellers (Farmington, MN)
Fountain Bookstore (Richmond, VA)
McNally Robinson Booksellers (New York, NY)
Village Books (Bellingham, WA)
Wordsmiths Books (Decatur, GA)

BOOKSELLERS BLOGS:
Rachel & Benn of Atomic Books (Baltimore, MD)
Megan Sullivan of Harvard Bookstore (Cambridge MA): Bookdwarf
Lori Kauffman of Brookline Booksmith (Brookline, MA): Brookline Blogsmith
Arsen Kashkashian of Boulder Bookstore (Boulder, CO): Kash's Book Corner
Jessica Stockton Bagnulo of McNally Robinson (New York, NY): The Written Nerd
Lauretta Nagel of Constellation Books (Resisterstown, MD): Constellation Books' NEW BLOG

And because I don't have enough to do (and read), I'm always interested in discovering new sites and resources. If you're a bookseller who blogs or have a great bookstore website to share, post the link in a comment here, or send me the link directly. I'm happy to include your blog or site in a future posting.

Happy New Year!

Hot Men of Children's Literature

Over a year ago, our German author / illustrator Sebastian Meschenmoser appeared on A Fuse #8 Production blog as one of the Hot Men of Children's Literature that Betsy so generously shares with the kidlit world.

Our spring 2008 books are finally visible on line, which means our authors and illustrators appear now as well. Don't miss the video featuring Felice Arena reading from his new book: Sally and Dave, A Slug Story. Felice Arena is a very talented - not to mention handsome - author and illustrator from Australia. I'd say he'd make a great addition to the HMOCL collection! (Are nominations still open?)

Did I mention that he was once an actor on the Australian soap opera, Neighbours, of which Russell Crowe was once a cast member?

A Little Meme

I discovered a mention of our Japanese title, Breasts, this morning on the Paradise Found blog and browsed the site since it's new to me. I also found this little meme posted there yesterday and thought it'd be fun to continue it here.

From Japan
Breasts
by Genichiro Yagyu

All memes, no matter what the subject, remind me of Trudy White's Could You? Would You? I'm always up for promoting anything to get young people talking and getting to know each other - or themselves - better. I consider myself young (at heart) so I'll begin...

From Australia
Could You? Would You?
by Trudy White

1. Name one person who made you laugh last night?

My best friend from college.

2. What were you doing at 8:00am?

Still trying to wake up.

3. What were you doing 30 minutes ago?

Responding to over a dozen emails.

4. What happened to you in 2006?

My husband filed for divorced (can't recall much else from that year...)

5. What was the last thing you said out loud?

Thank you.

6. How many beverages did you have today?

Still working on my first.

7. What color is your hairbrush?

I don’t use a hairbrush, but my comb is blue.

8. What was the last thing you paid for?

Coffee

9. Where were you last night?

At the office until 10pm

10. What color is your front door?

Dark brown

11. Where do you keep your change?

In a jar on the kitchen table that reads: Family Fun Night

12. What’s the weather like today?

Overcast, foggy.

13. What’s the best ice-cream flavor?

14. What excites you?

Spending a day with family

15. Do you want to cut your hair?

No, it's short enough as it is.

16. Are you over the age of 25?

Yes, thank god.

17. Do you talk a lot?

Yes, too much.

18. Do you watch the O.C.?

No. And I'm appalled that other people do.

19. Do you know anyone named Steven?

Yes, but only through a friend of a friend.

20. Do you make up your own words?

Of course.

21. Are you a jealous person?

Yes, sometimes.

22. Name a friend whose name starts with the letter ‘A’

Andrea, Alison, Amber... (Hi, ladies!)

23. Name a friend whose name starts with the letter ‘K’

Kira

24. Who’s the first person on your received call list?

My son's father

25. What does the last text message you received say

"Yeah, right. Maybe if I win the lotto."

26. Do you chew on your straw?

No.

27. Do you have curly hair?

No.

28. Where’s the next place you’re going to?

Palm Springs

29. Who’s the rudest person in your life?

Can't think of anyone

30. What was the last thing you ate?

a muffin

31. Will you get married in the future?

My first marriage just ended, and no, I don't think I will have a second go.

32. What’s the best movie you’ve seen in the past 2 weeks?

A Night at the Museum (this is actually the only movie I've seen in the past 2 weeks)

33. Is there anyone you like right now?

Sure, lots of people!

34. When was the last time you did the dishes?

A few days ago

35. Are you currently depressed?

No, should I be?

36. Did you cry today?

Not yet!

37. Why did you answer and post this?

I've been having bad luck this week and thought perhaps answering random questions about myself would cheer me up. It has.

Chi-Town

Driving along Lake Shore Drive, seeing Navy Pier lit up at night and witnessing the construction of the new Trump Tower reminds me of what it is I love about Chicago. It is beautiful, clean and always full of energy.

People here have a Midwestern charm and although my Midwest accent has of course come out since spending the last few days with my big sis, I've enjoyed the reminder of my youth and spending time in the city during winter, as the holiday season approaches.

Last night we had dinner at the Green Zebra on Chicago Avenue. It is a swank little place with a vegetarian menu. The food was amazing, the wine was fantastic and sharing a dinner out with my sister was priceless.

This evening, my sister and I are meeting Anne Levy from Book Buds for dinner. We're going to head over to McCormick and Schmick's Fresh Seafood Restaurant on Wacker Drive.

Anne is also the co-founder of the Cybils (Children's & YA Bloggers' Literary Awards). This year is the second year of this annual independent book award which we're pleased to have three books nominated for (so far):

From South Korea

My Cat Copies Me
by Yoon-duck Kwon


From Japan
The Story of Cherry the Pig
by Utako Yamada

From Australia
Samsara Dog
by Helen Manos
Illustrated by Julie Vivas

What's so great about this award is that it's reader-nominated. Readers, whether they're parents, educators, book reviewers, librarians or professionals (in any industry), can nominate titles for this award. You'll find the growing list of nominated titles on the Cybils blog under each category:

• Fantasy and Science Fiction
  
• Fiction Picture Books
  
• Graphic Novels
  
• Middle Grade Fiction
  
• Nonfiction: Middle Grade and Young Adult
  
• Nonfiction Picture Books
  
• Poetry
  
• Young Adult Fiction

Nominate your favorite titles today, but make sure you read the rules first!

For the Love of...

Jen Robinson is a smart and thoughtful blogger. She's one of a handful of kidlit blogsters who I correspond with and have tried to meet up with in her hometown of San Jose, where I also have family.

I was away last week and fell behind on my blog reading. Jen Robinson's Book Page is always the place where I find myself slowing down, nodding in agreement, and thinking how intimidating Jen is (she's so much more worldly and intelligent than me).

Anywho, she mentioned in a recent post, her love of reading and how she feels it led to her education at Duke University. I am convinced that my love of reading and my desire to be close to books led me to my dream job, but I digress. This is not about work or college.

My story begins in late 2003. I'm eight months pregnant and sitting on the floor in front of my (then) husband, surrounded by dozens of other just-as-pregnant couples, all of whom are strangers. The two teachers are irritating me, as is everyone there (hormones) and I'm emotional, tired, hungry and just want to know when I'd be able to receive an epidural (I had no idea that I'd end up having a c-section at this point).

At one point, one of the teachers asks us all, one at a time, to share one of our partner's traits that we hope will be passed on to our unborn child. Luckily, my partner and I are in the middle of the half-circle so I'm grateful that I will have time to listen to every one's responses and to come up with an even better one of my own.

People around us are saying things like, "Her smile, or his sense of humor," along with other physical traits that I can't understand. I mean, I of course want my child to be healthy and happy, but I never thought about wanting him to have certain physical features.

When it came to our turn to speak, I was proud of both my answer and my partner. I spoke up loud and clear and let everyone know that the one trait in my partner I hoped would be passed along to our son would be his work ethic. He's a very hard worker and does everything he can to provide for his family.

I thought this was it. I was done. I no longer had to speak or participate for the rest of the day so I let my guard down. My partner (who I couldn't see because I was leaning back upon his chest), said, "I hope our son inherits her love of reading." I would've fainted if I hadn't already been sitting down. Tears poured out of my eyes and I was literally choking up over his thoughtful response and probably the biggest compliment one could ever pay me.

Illustration from And After That...
From Belgium, by Jeanne Ashbé
(K/M, 2002)

I have been working hard every day to make sure that my son does inherit my love of reading. I think that part of my job is done, as he enjoys heading to the library, the local bookstore, or my office, which is of course lined with bookshelves.

My son is already a hard worker and I can see how dedicated and focused he is on whatever task or challenge is presented to him. He's inherited his dad's smile, his mother's patience and his grandparents' red hair. And who knows? He could end up at Duke someday, too.