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  • OhMG News!

    May 12, 2012: The Kids Have Voted

    Votes have been tallied for the 2012 Children’s Choice Book Awards. Winner in the 5th/6th grade category was Okay for Now, Gary Schmidt’s companion novel to his Newbery Honor-winning The Wednesday Wars. Illustrator of the year went to Brian Selznick for Wonderstruck, and author of the year went to Jeff Kinney for Cabin Fever, the latest installment in his Wimpy Kid series.

    For a complete list of the winners…

     

    May 10, 2012: Happy Children’s Book Week!

    In honor of National Children’s Book Week, award-winning author-illustrator Matt Phelan posted this delightful review of Polly Horvath’s new book on his blog… 

    For more about Children's Book Week…

     

    May 5, 2012: Oh Me, Oh May

    Check out all the new books releasing in May...

     

    May 5, 2012: Be a Fourth-Grade Somebody

    One lucky fourth-grade classroom will win a Skype visit from author Judy Blume this month. To participate, all you have to do is have your students write a sentence or two on why they like fourth grade. The contest, which ends May 15, is sponsored by School Library Journal.

    For details…

     

    May 5, 2012: Sturm und Drang for Kids

    Guardian columnist Julia Eccleshare tackles the question “Why are so many highly praised children's books gloomy?” in this April 30 article…

                            




    May 1, 2012: It’s No Mystery

    The Edgar Award for the best juvenile mystery of the year was presented this past weekend to Matthew Kirby for Icefall (Scholastic, 2011). Publishers Weekly said of Kirby's Viking suspense novel, “Readers may be drawn in by the promise of action, which Kirby certainly fulfills, but they’ll be left contemplating the power of the pen versus the sword—or rather the story versus the war hammer.” 

    For more on the award…

    To read a Mixed-up Files interview with Kirby... 

     

    May 1, 2012: Crystal Clear

    Winners of the 2012 Crystal Kite Awards, the only peer-given awards in children’s publishing, were announced this week. The awards are voted on by members of the Society of Children's Book Writers and Illustrators. Middle-grade winners include The Friendship Doll by Kirby Larson and The Absolute Value of Mike by Kathryn Erskine.

    For a complete list of winners...

     

    April 30, 2012: Does a Pineapple Have Sleeves?

    What happens when a Daniel Pinkwater story is adapted for use in a statewide standardized test? The New York Times reports on the kerfuffle here...

     

    April 30, 2012: More than One Path to Publication

    The lines between traditional and self-publishing continue to blur as more and more traditionally published authors find ways to utilize the flexibility and freedom that self publishing offers. Author Kate Milford recently announced in Publishers Weekly that her new fantasy, The Broken Lands, which will be published by Clarion in September, will be accompanied by the release of a self-published novella, The Kairos Mechanism.

    Says Milford, "I want to experiment with self-publishing as a way to promote and enhance traditional releases by providing extra content to readers in the form of complete, related tales. I also want to use resources that support independent bookstores." As an added bonus Milford is planning a special digital edition of her self-published work that will include illustrations by 10 teen readers. 

    For more…

     

    April 14, 2012: It’s Raining, It’s Pouring!

    Check out all the new books releasing in April...

     

    April 12, 2012: The Greatest Girls 

    Jen Doll, columnist for The Atlantic Wire, talks about “The Greatest Girl Characters of Young Adult Literature” in this April 5 article, the first in a series called “Y.A. for Grownups.” Among the characters Doll mentions are a number of middle-grade favorites, including Meg Murray from A Wrinkle in Time and Claudia Kincaid of From the Mixed-up Files of Mrs. Basil E. Frankweiler.

    For more… 

     

    April 12, 2012: Moss Aims to Pick Up Where Tricycle Left Off

    Berkeley-based children’s author and illustrator Marissa Moss, best-known for her Amelia’s Notebook series, is starting a new West Coast publishing venture called Creston Books. Says Moss, “The idea’s been percolating for years. It came to a head after Random House bought Ten Speed and threw Tricycle away.” Moss got her start with the quirky, risk-taking Tricycle Press, which published Amelia’s Notebook at a time when traditional publishers were unsure what to do with the illustrated diary format.  “New York publishing is about: what’s the next Harry Potter, what’s the next Twilight?” says Moss. “When I’ve approached people, I’ve asked, ‘What is the book you’ve been dying to do, but New York won’t do?’ I want the books that they think won’t sell—because I think they will.”

    Creston’s first books are due to release Fall 2013. In the meantime, Moss is seeking kickstarter funds to help back the project. For more…

     

    April 10, 2012: After Chrestomanci

    An online celebration of the life of British author Diana Wynne Jones (1934-2011) will kick off April 12 with a two-week blog tour. In conjunction with the tour a special blog has been set up where fans can share their favorite books, quotes, stories, characters, covers, and memories of Diana with fellow fans around the world.

    Wynne Jones was the author of dozens of popular titles, including the Chrestomanci series and Howl’s Moving Castle, which was made into an animated film by Hayao Miyazaki in 2004.

    For details…

     

    April 6, 2012: Game Over!

    The Battle of the Books has ended. And the winner is…

    I’m not telling! You’ll just have to click on over to the School Library Journal site and read Jonathan Stroud’s incredible analysis of the three finalists—Life: An Exploded Diagram by Mal Peet; Between Shades of Gray by Ruta Sepetys; and Okay for Now by Gary Schmidt.


    March 31, 2012: Hiaasen Says There’s No Fooling Kids

    Newbery-honor winning author Carl Hiaasen talks about writing for kids versus writing for adults in this March 6 School Library Journal interview. Says Hiaasen, “The idea that you're fooling kids is crazy. That's the way I've been able to connect to and go between adult and young adult books. Kids love sarcasm and the idea of bursting a grown-up's bubble. It's a question of calibrating the story to the young adult market. Once I did that with Hoot and it worked, it opened up a new and rewarding way of writing for me.”

    Hiassen’s new middle-grade book, Chomp, was released this week.

     For more…

     

    March 29, 2012: What’s the Buzz in Middle-grade Fiction?

    A panel of editors will share their predictions for this fall’s breakout titles when BookExpo America convenes June 5-7 at the Javits Center in New York City.  You don’t have to wait until June to catch the buzz, though. According to the BookExpo on-line news, titles to watch are:

    • Malcolm at Midnight by W. H. Beck (Houghton Mifflin Harcourt)

    • The Peculiar by Stefan Bachmann (HarperCollins)

    • Starry River of the Sky by Grace Lin (Little Brown)

    • Tales from Lovecraft Middle School #1: Professor Gargoyle by Charles Gilman (Quirk)

    • With Love From Paris: Mira's Sketchbook by Marissa Moss (Sourcebooks)

    For more…


    March 26, 2012: Lindgren Winner Announced

    Dutch author Guus Kuijer has won the Astrid Lindgren Memorial Award given by the Swedish Arts Council to honor an author whose body of work is in the spirit of Pippi Longstocking author Astrid Lindgren. The winner receives 5 million Swedish crowns (more than $700K), making it the richest prize in the world for children’s literature. Past winners include Katherine Paterson, Sonya Hartnett, Maurice Sendak, and Shaun Tan.

    Kuijer was selected by an international jury of experts who praised his "razor-sharp realism,” “subtle humor,” and “visionary flights of fancy.” Kuijer is author of more than 30 titles, most of them for young teens. Sadly, only one of his books has appeared in English—The Book of Everything, a slim but haunting novel published by Arthur Levine Books in 2006.

     For more…

     

    March 20, 2012: No Grownups Allowed

    It’s time for kids to vote for their favorite books of the year in this year’s Children’s Choice Awards. Winners will be announced during Children’s Book Week, May 7-13, 2012. The awards are sponsored by the Children’s Book Council, which celebrates the transformative power of literacy. Kids can vote individually or librarians, teachers, and booksellers can log on to record their students’ votes.

    Finalists for the 3rd-4th grade Book of the Year are:

    • Bad Kitty Meets the Baby by Nick Bruel

    • A Funeral in the Bathroom and other School Bathroom Poems by Kalli Dakos

    • The Monstrous Book of Monsters by Libby Hamilton

    • Sidekicks by Dan Santat

    • Squish #1: Super Amoeba by Jennifer and Matthew Holm

    Finalists for 5th-6th Grade Book of the Year are:

    • Bad Island by Doug TenNapel

    • How to Survive Anything by Rachel Buchholz

    • Lost & Found by Shaun Tan

    • Okay for Now by Gary Schmidt

    • Racing in the Rain: My Life as a Dog by Garth Stein

    For more about Children’s Book Week…

    To vote …

     



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In Praise of Random Search . . . plus a Random Giveaway

Aug 11, 2010
Giveaways, Miscellaneous

Quick! Where’s the nearest library?

One of the more believable plot points in a recent, not-so-believable disaster movie was the notion that a group of survivors fleeing imminent doom might seek refuge within the halls of the New York Public Library. Lofty-columned civic monuments or modest suburban storefronts, public libraries are natural havens. There’s something cozy and reassuring about being surrounded by so many books. And all that accumulated wisdom comes in handy if you’re faced with saving humanity from total destruction.

Of course, a library is just a great place to hang out on a lazy Saturday, too — when the only immediate threat to humanity is the brain-wilting heat of late summer.

Okay, but they made me turn off my smartphone . . .

No problem. Safe in the blessedly conditioned air of your local library, put thoughts of global catastrophe aside and indulge in some old-fashioned, non-virtual, random browsing. Be your own search engine, powered by whatever internal algorithm causes you to reach for one book over the other. Is it a keyword in the title? (“Ghost” gets me every time.) A picture of a horse on the jacket? A funky typeface? Are you partial to chubby books . . . or skinny ones? Treasures await!

It was the colorful jacket that drew me as a child to one particular treasure: The 21 Balloons, by William Pène du Bois. These were the days before publishers started stamping gold and silver medallions on book covers — I didn’t realize The 21 Balloons had won the Newbery Medal (in 1948). It was a book I had found on my own. My discovery. That’s the real joy of random browsing.

Focus. I need focus.

So, what if you’re uncomfortable with all this randomness? I’m glad you asked! Although if you are (or used to be) the kind of geeky kid I was, the answer should be obvious: a library scavenger hunt!

Think of it as a set of search parameters. Give yourself some instructions to follow, and see what you find. My ten “rules” are listed below. Feel free to use those, or make up your own. I staked out the Juvenile (middle-grade) fiction section as my territory — nothing beats good ol’ alpha-by-author for ensuring a healthy mix of subject matter and genre. And remember, you don’t have to start with “A” and work your way through the stacks . . . unless you want to.

There are no correct answers; everyone’s collection of finds will be different. But there will be a winner! Keep reading for details about the Random Giveaway — and happy scavenging!

Middle-Grade Fiction Scavenger Hunt
 
1. Find a book whose author’s first name begins with the same letter as yours.
My find: Jeremy Thatcher, Dragon Hatcher, by Bruce Colville.
 
2. Find a shelf less than half full and pick the third book from the left.
My find: Nerd No More, by Kristine L. Franklin.
 
3. Pick a shelf at random and look for the shortest book on the shelf.
My find: The Puppeteer’s Apprentice, by D. Anne Love
 
4. Find a book with the word “secret” in the title.
My find: The Secret of Platform 13, by Eva Ibbotson.
 
5. Find a book featuring one of your favorite characters; pick the book to its left.
Character: Pippi Longstocking; my find: The Year of the Rat, by Grace Lin.
 
6. Find a book with the word “dog” in the title and pick the book to its right.
My find: The Legend of Thunderfoot, by Bill Wallace.
 
7. Find a book with a number in the title.
My find: 13 Treasures, by Michelle Harrison.
 
8. Find a one-word title.
My find: Sounder, by William H. Armstrong.
 
9. Find an un-jacketed, library-bound book — if there are more than one on the same shelf, pick the one that looks most “loved” (worn).
My find: The Borrowers Afield, by Mary Norton.
 
10. Find the Newbery winner for the year you were born.
My find: Aha — you thought you’d trick me! I’m not telling. But, yes, I did find the winner for the year I was born, quietly growing moss in a forgotten corner. 
 
Random Giveaway
 
Leave us a comment about your favorite book discovery or special library memory. We will draw a name (at random!) to receive his or her choice of any one of the ten books mentioned in this post:

 

 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
Bonnie is quite comfortable with both randomness and geekiness. She invites you to stay tuned for more scavenger hunts (virtual and otherwise), as well as puzzles, word games and contests, on the new From the Mixed-Up Files For Kids page, coming soon. 
 
Written by: BonnieAdamson on August 11, 2010.
18 Comments
Tags

18 Comments

  1. molly b  •  Aug 11, 2010 @7:11 am

    When I was in seventh grade (1978/’79), I was browsing in my junior high’s library when I found Dragonsong, by Anne McCaffrey. It was still pretty new at the time, and had an amazing cover–all white, with a creepy-looking blue dragon on it. That was the book that got me started reading fantasy; after I read it I looked in the public library for Anne McCaffrey, and discovered the science fiction/fantasy section.

    That public library branch also had a separate section for YA science fiction, with Heinlein’s YA stuff and some other science fiction that had young characters, like Logan’s Run. Whoever classified those books as YA had to have been a pretty avid SF/F reader to pick out so many titles that weren’t aimed specifically at teenagers.

  2. Kristen  •  Aug 11, 2010 @8:00 am

    I have to say it was my trip to California a few years back. My mom and I worked at the same library for a while, so when we went and saw family a few years back in California, we had this want to see their local library. So my second cousin Sue took us to the “cool” library which had all sorts of fantastic displays and they even had a library mascot – some sort of dragon – can’t remember his name. Also, their children’s section had a full four wall mural painted around it. It was amazing. We definitely spent a few hours there on our vacation and it was a great family time too.

  3. StephanieW  •  Aug 11, 2010 @8:15 am

    Fantastic! I found Lloyd Alexander’s “The ___ Adventure” series on my own, in my middle school library. I hate to say it, but they were a group of nicely-sized books with permabound covers, all in a row–and that had to be what caught my eye. What I remember now is how much I liked them–I read them all–and that having found them was slightly empowering. (“What ELSE is there to find?”)

    Now I’m a librarian, and I love “reader’s advisory” as much as the next guy. That said, there’s definitely something great about having something you’ve never heard of pique your interest, then become a favorite. Bravo–go forth and scavenge!

  4. Joanne Prushing Johnson  •  Aug 11, 2010 @8:54 am

    Great post, Bonnie. I love being random at the library and have lucked into some great finds. Our library is small and if I haven’t thought ahead to request something on my to-be-read list, browsing is a great way to find an unexpected gem. Your scavenger hunt will be a great activity to help my boys expand their choices.

  5. Caroline Starr Rose  •  Aug 11, 2010 @8:56 am

    I’ve just returned home after 13 years away. After getting a new driver’s license, scrubbing new floors, and multiple trips to Beds, Bath, and Beyond, I stopped by my childhood library (before opening any boxes, I might add).

    Just walking in was such a delight. The smell was familiar and welcoming. I poked around the kid section (no more reading nooks, unfortunately) and searched for my early adult ventures: Agatha Christie mysteries. Many lovely memories there. It is amazing to think I’ve returned as an adult and will have my own book on a shelf there next year.

    Hooray for libraries!

  6. Aimee Bartis  •  Aug 11, 2010 @9:00 am

    What a fun idea! I can’t wait to try it out. My favorite library moments had to be the summer reading clubs. I lived in a small town in Texas and would walk to the library every other day during the summer. I would trade out my books for new ones and enjoy the air conditioning. After I loaded up on books, I would get an icee from the store across the street. Trying to walk, read and avoid brain freeze was the challenge on the way home. That library was so small and cozy. I loved being in that building. Sadly, now it’s an adult probation center so I wouldn’t see the inside of it again (I hope ;)

  7. Jill  •  Aug 11, 2010 @9:04 am

    My favorite library find was when I was young. I came across the “Very Young…” series. There was A Very Young Dancer, A Very Young Gymnist, A Very Young Skater. I loved them all and read them over and over and over and over. I’ve even looked on Ebay for copies of them just because they were so dear to me. I’d get one, but I guess others loved them as well because they are hard to find and cost more than I can spend!

    On a side note – My daughter is very excited because our town is building a new library. Our current one is really small and old. She’s excited to have something new and bright with more space! It will be fun to take her there.

  8. Elissa Cruz  •  Aug 11, 2010 @11:20 am

    I have come across so many great books this way. I love browsing the shelves of my local library.

    I tend to be drawn to the covers that look like they might be high fantasy (like the Septimus Heap series, or the Edge Chronicles, both of which I picked up during one of my many browsing sessions). I also love love love mysteries, so anything that looks remotely like a mystery has found its way into my library bag.

    My 5yo daugher, on the other hand, picks all the books that have a pink cover. I think she’s on to something. Next time you’re at the library, pick a color and pull a book with that color on the spine, and see what you find!

  9. Mezzowriter  •  Aug 11, 2010 @12:03 pm

    I remember participating in reading contests when I was little. My sister and I would check out as many books as they would allow, and try to beat each other on pages read.

    I remember reading an entire Audobon book on birds because it was huge and had lots of pictures and little text. I still didn’t win. :)

  10. Okie  •  Aug 11, 2010 @1:41 pm

    Cool scavenger hunt…I just tried it out and found some interesting titles.

    As for a fun memory of a book find, the one that jumped to mind was a biography called Mortal Games. Now, I wasn’t a biography reader nor did I have any desire to be. But I kept passing this book on the shelf and felt like the guy on the cover
    was staring me down…sitting there with his smug contemplative look amid huge chess pieces.

    Eventually I picked up the book and read it…devoured it actually. The writing style really drew me in and made me really invest myself in the life of this chess grandmaster and the dramas in his life.

    I still haven’t become a big biography reader…but I have a strange affinity towards Kasparov as a result of this book.

  11. Cathe Olson  •  Aug 11, 2010 @5:47 pm

    What a great idea . . . I might use it when school starts to get my students to discover books or parts of the library they are not used to exploring.

    I just reconnected with a childhood friend and she told me she was at my house and my mom announced that we were going to the library and my siblings and I started jumping up and down shouting, “YAY the library!” and she was like . . . huh, you are getting excited about going to the library? I still get excited about going to the public library even though I work in a school library!

  12. Wendy Martin  •  Aug 11, 2010 @8:55 pm

    I am a random browser. I plop myself down at a stack with no apparent reason and look through all the books until something catches my eye. Then I bring it home to savor slowly.

  13. Mariska  •  Aug 11, 2010 @10:32 pm

    I went to book shop and just randomly choose a book. Well, usually i read the blurb on the back cover though :)

    that’s when i found Anne of Green Gables, and i just fell in love with that book.

  14. Llehn  •  Aug 11, 2010 @10:52 pm

    Diana Wynne Jones was my best find! I wrote a whole blog post about it here http://lesleysays.livejournal.com/2523.html

  15. Wendy S  •  Aug 12, 2010 @4:01 am

    I love the scavenger hunt! I’m sending my son, who tends to get stuck in “reader ruts”, on one the next time we go to the library.

    My own randomness version is once in a while I’ll force myself to go down an aisle at the library that I usually don’t frequent (i.e., NOT in the kids, essay/memoir or cookbook section) and check out a book.

  16. Alice Jonsson  •  Aug 12, 2010 @3:55 pm

    I can still remember where “The Witch of Blackbird Pond” was located in my elementary school library. The upper elementary years were a terrific time for engrossing, fun literature.

  17. Deb  •  Aug 13, 2010 @9:38 am

    When I was twelve I spent part of the summer at Lakeland College where my uncle taught. I was able to go into the library, browse the shelves and pick something to read…my discovery? Sherlock Holmes! I still remember curling up in a leather, wing back chair and reading story after story.

    Great post, thanks!

  18. Mindy Alyse Weiss  •  Aug 15, 2010 @9:14 pm

    What a great idea, Bonnie! I can’t wait to have a scavenger hunt with my girls. :)