Strollerderby : children's books

Children's Books You Will Never Read

Brett Singer — Wed, 13 May 2009 16:52:00 GMT

Why not? Because they're all fake and have offensive titles.

In honor of Children's Book Week (which Amy told us about), here is a list of "Children's Books That Didn't Make It" from Jokes.com, a site that compiles jokes and comedy videos from assorted funny people.

Accidents Happen: The Story of YOU - This one amuses me because so many people seem to have no problem asking expectant and new parents if their little peanut was planned. I've known people who have no problem acknowledging that a second, third, or in Nadya Suleman's case, ninth, pregnancy was unintentional. (Actually, Nadya's was intentional. But that's not the point.) But they offer this information if they feel like doing so. I can't imagine asking a question like that. Other folks, though, seem to have no such hang ups. (See also: Oops! You're Getting a Brother.)

Some Kittens Can Fly - I'm more of a dog person. (Note: please don't let your children throw your cats.)

You Can Paint Anywhere! - my first child drew on the walls once and never did it again. My second is far more destructive. I wonder if such things are genetic.

Fun Four-Letter Words to Know and Share - Does anyone else remember the Truly Tasteless Jokes series? They were stunningly offensive (" How did Helen Keller's parents punish her when she was bad?"), but I had them and so did all of my friends. I didn't grow up attending Klan rallies either. I went to socialist summer camps and attended "no nukes" rallies. Somehow these slipped through the cracks. I wonder if kids are still reading these books, since they are still on sale. I doubt it, but who knows. (Some examples of what appeared in the books are here; be warned, most of the jokes are very very offensive.)

Source: Jokes.com and Jokes.com

Image: sxc

Celebrate Children's Book Week

Poll - Portia and Ellen Most Trusted Moms

When Toddlers Attack The Neighbors

Toddler Jail Break

Japanese Potty Training Video

10 Year Old Author Alec Greven Is Back

Win a Signed Copy of Little Oink!

editors — Wed, 13 May 2009 14:08:00 GMT

Little Oink is the cleanest piglet this side of the barnyard. But his parents, Mama and Papa Pig are disgraced by Oink’s lack of a proper pigsty. Want to use some reverse psychology on your little dirt mongers? Get your own copy of Little Oink autographed by author Amy Krouse Rosenthal courtesy of Chronicle Books. Ten lucky Babble readers will take home Rosenthal’s latest in the tiny market that includes Little Pea and Little Hoot.

Get to know the Little book family here then send an email to babblecontest@gmail.com with your contact information and subject line "Little Oink!" to win. We'll be giving away ten of these adorable tales so everyone enter today!

Chat with Judy Blume!

JeanneSager — Wed, 06 May 2009 14:02:00 GMT

If you were once a teenage girl (and I'd dare say at least half of Babble readers once were), chances are Judy Blume got you through a tough spot.

Heck, if you were an elementary school boy, you might have spent an afternoon or two with her books that have nothing to do with PMS and plenty to do with the playground.

And if you ever sat, like Margaret, wondering, is someone there, we have good news. Judy Blume herself is answering questions from readers.

The author of who made great a Fourth Grade Nothing, taught us all to mix up lemon juice concoctions to fight the freckles and managed to make Fudge better than chocolate, appeared on Random Buzzers.com last week, and she's expected to spend the next few days checking back in to answer questions from readers. She's even blogging about it over at her own site (just in case you thought this was a hoax).

So maybe now's the perfect time to pull out your old Judy Blumes and pore over them for questions, er, get your kids reading your favorites.

Go on over to Random Buzzers to join the comment string and post your question, but let us know - what was your favorite Judy Blume book, and have you shared it with your kids yet?

Image: Amazon

Book for Gay Parents' Kids Creates an Uproar

JeanneSager — Tue, 05 May 2009 16:26:00 GMT

I love how Fox News fairly and I dare say balancedly (is that even a word?) laid out the news that there's a new book out there for kids of lesbian moms who used a sperm donor to conceive:

"Gay Sex Education Book Targets Children as Young as 2"

Gets your dander up, doesn't it? Oh my sweet henry, they're trying to teach our two-year-olds to have sex! And not just the missionary position but you know, the naughty, we don't do that in the heartland kind of s-e-x.

Except they're not.

Where Did I Really Come From? was apparently written to help children of gay couples understand the myriad other ways children come into the world other than a man and woman having sex . . . together. The book includes a chapter about surrogacy (with pictures of two gay men holding a child) and another on lesbian moms using a sperm donor.

According to the Australian, there is some discussion of sex - although I'm not sure how graphic (I haven't read the book myself). They cite a chapter that notes: "Sometimes, a woman really wants to have a baby but she doesn't want to have intercourse with a man. Some women want to bring up a baby by themselves, or with another woman, so the baby gets two mums."

Author Narelle Wickham says she was just trying to normalize for kids the different forms of conception, and the stands behind the suggestion that kids as young as two be given the book by their parents.

Many of the "anti" comments, frankly, are bizarre. Here's a taste:

"Let children be children, they do not need to be introduced to sex or alternative lifestyles at a tender age." Well, if this book was purchased by a parent who used a surrogate or a sperm donor (the families it was written for), that introduction came at the very tender age of CONCEPTION folks.

"Another shot at sexualising and brainwahsing youngsters." Yes, it's brainwashing to let them know that gays really exist, and, by the way, Mommy is one of them. And for that matter, so is Mommy!

"I believe young children should be taught about gay and lesbian parents as this will help them identify them when they are older and allow them to stay away from these types of parents." Because the gay and lesbian parents are so desperate for children that they're going to come after them?

"I think any book about this subject shouldn't be targeted at 2 year olds. Do two year olds really need to be told about sex?" That depends - what did you tell your kids when you or your partner got pregnant? I was four when my parents gave me a book about mommies and daddies making a baby in preparation for a new addition to our family. Which means those books have been out there for decades, aimed at toddlers (this one too has been out since 1992, but is all of a sudden back in the spotlight). Because kids as young as two will certainly notice there is a burgeoning belly if there's a pregnancy or notice a new person suddenly arrive in their lives.

But I guess that was OK, according to most of these posters. Because I had a mom and a dad. Although if I'd had a mom and dad using a surrogate, would that have been OK? Or a mom and dad who had to use a sperm donor? An egg donor? IVF? IUI?

This book addresses them all, giving thousands of kids an alternative to that same old "Mommy and Daddy made me" book I read as a kid. Fortunately for their mommies and/or daddies, it's out there for them.

Image: Evolution (where you can buy the book - straight from Australia)

Ten of the Best Lines from Kiddie Lit

JeanneSager — Thu, 30 Apr 2009 20:27:00 GMT

Be it a movie or a book, there's always one line that stands out in the good ones. Hence that dorky guy at the office who answers everything question with a movie quote.

So what's the kiddie lit version of "I'll be back?" The Associated Press got a series of celebrity parents to dish on their favorites,but we were suprised which of our favorites were skipped. So we're bringing them up here.

So who was talking? Maria Canals-Barrera of Disney Channel's "Wizards of Waverly Place" hit on that old Dr. Seuss classic: "a person's a person no matter how small" from Horton Hears a Who and Poppy Montgomery of Without a Trace hit upon Seuss' Oh the Places You'll Go. Soprano Renee Fleming and fashion designer Cynthia Rowley paid tribute to those mommy and baby lovefest features Guess How Much I Love You and Love You Forever. You can check out the rest of the list via the AP . . . or read a collection of Strollerderby's favorites:

Another Dr. Seuss fave: "Truffula Trees are what everyone needs. Plant a new Truffula. Treat it with care. Give it clean water. And feed it fresh air. Grow a forest. Protect it from axes that hack.Then the Lorax and all of his friends may come back."
And one more from the Seuss: " "on those wild screaming beaches..." (from The Sneetches)
What's the use of having a trained balloon if it won't do what you want?"- The Red Balloon by A. LaMorisse
"I am a nuisance in the lobby. Mr Salamone said so." - Eloise by Kay Thompson
"Though I've grown old, the bell still rings for me as it does for all who truly believe." - The Polar Express by Chris VanAllsburg
"I don't want to be sensible," said Ramona. "I HATE being sensible." - Ramona the Pest by Beverly Cleary
"In my experience, well-read people are less likely to be evil." - Lemony Snicket (not sure which one)
"It's my ponytail and I like it!" - Stephanie's Ponytail by Robert Munsch
"...and an ocean tumbled by with a private boat for Max and he sailed off through night and day and in and out of weeks and almost over a year to where the wild things are." - Where the Wild Things Are by Maurice Sendak
"And the music was sad and joyous and it filled the quiet street and went out over the darkling trees and the whole world." - from Dudley Pippin and the Principal in Free to Be You and Me

We could probably fill Strollerderby up with this list, but we'd like to hear yours. What are the lines your family repeats ad infinitum?

Image: Amazon

Amy Winehouse Writing a Children's Book

JeanneSager — Sat, 18 Apr 2009 18:30:00 GMT

The best word to describe my daughter's library? Eclectic. We have the bunnies saying goodnight to their room on through to stories about funky jazz cats.

But here's where I may have to draw the line: Amy Winehouse says she'll be writing a children's book about her life.

Done sputtering?

There's no doubt the English singer is a talented writer - at least somewhere beyond the booze, the drugs and the face scratching. Her jazzy fifties influence to pop has been refreshing, her awards well-deserved. But how will her life translate into a children's book?

A glance: Newspapers have published pictures of her smoking crack, she's been hospitalized for ODing on a mixture of heroin, ecstasy, cocaine, ketamine and alcohol (all in one night), she's admitted to self-cutting, and she's landed in jail for assault. How many times has this chick been to the rehab she sings about? And should we mention her song titles? Hello, F--k Me Pumps.

If she's writing a cautionary tale of how to end up looking like you're forty when you're four, she's got plenty of fodder.

I've always said the danger of trying to make celebrities into role models for kids is the fact that they are human too - just because they're famous doesn't make them any more fit for the job than the rest of us. And if you want your kid to grow up to be Amy Winehouse, you might want to check yourself into rehab.

With all the creativity of Babble readers, I figure we can help Amy come up with titles for her foray into the world of kiddie lit. Here's a few from me and my colleagues here on the 'derby:

Baby Goes to Rehab
Baby Got Crack (Pipe)
How To Hide Pot In The Potty
Arsenic, Baby Powder and Cocaine: Substance Abuse ABCs
F--k Me Stride Rite
Beehives for Babies
Back to Crack
Smoke Away Your Baby Fat
Nursery F--kery
They're trying to make me go to preschool, but I said no, no, no

Come on readers, help us out!

Image: Wikipedia

“Boys build houses. Girls keep houses.”

Hannah Tennant-Moore — Fri, 10 Apr 2009 17:53:00 GMT

The above is taken from a 1960s children’s book charmingly titled I’m Glad I’m a Boy! I’m Glad I’m a Girl!, which Jezebel discovered via Contexts.

My favorite of the captions is definitely, “Boys can eat. Girls can cook.” It’s very important that girls understand from a young age that they are incapable of consuming food. Weight Watchers diet shakes do not count as food.

Here’s a full page out of the book, in case you want to share with your kids a simpler time, a time when genitalia alone determined every single life decision.

The book's author, Whitney Darrow, was a cartoonist who drew for The New Yorker, among other places, and many commentators argue that his book was a satire. Unfortunately, it was not received as such at the time. School Libraries, published by the American Association of School Libraries in 1969, said of Darrow's masterpiece: ”This warmly humorous book makes everybody glad they are what they are.” (Dear School Libraries, “everybody” is actually singular.)

And this, from the “Books for Children” section in Childhood Education in 1970: “Simple drawings with line captions designed to help the young child discover his or her appropriate sex role.”

No wonder kids today need so much medication! They're just too darn confused.

Image (right): therealproposal.com

Why Can't Johnny Read? Because Someone Thinks His Books Contain Lead

Jen Chaney — Tue, 31 Mar 2009 15:58:00 GMT

When it comes to lead poisoning, most parents probably prefer to be safe vs. sorry. But even the most cautious among us may think that keeping some children's books from our kids is taking things a little too far.

In the wake of that recent federal law that bans any children's product containing trace elements of lead, a couple of libraries freaked out earlier this month and restricted access to children's books published prior to 1986. Why? Because before regulations began to take effect that year, small amounts of lead still could be found in printing ink. Emily Sheketoff, executive director of the American Library Association, told the Associated Press that one library roped off its children's section and another -- no joke -- covered some of its kids' books with a tarp. After the ALA contacted the libraries, which Sheketoff did not identify, they took their respective rope and tarp down. After all, reading is fundamental, even if it is deadly.

In all seriousness, there is no solid proof that books published prior to 1986 are in fact harmful to children. The Consumer Product Safety Commission has said its staff is "investigating" to make sure the ink does not pose any risk. But a specialist also said in the same AP story that it's unlikely all those old picture books and young adult novels are truly dangerous.

In an op-ed piece, the Wall Street Journal placed the blame for all this confusion on Congress and, more specifically, Nancy Pelosi. From my perspective, it seems like this issue could have been resolved a long time ago. Like, say, in 1987. Once we realized there was some lead in that ink, why didn't the CPSC or some other organization investigate and make absolutely sure our children could read those books in good health? We've only known about this for two-plus decades, right?

From my perspective, that's why legislation like the ban just passed by Congress is so necessary. Until a stringent law is put in place, all of us get too complacent about these things. We throw a tarp over the problem, so to speak, and just pray it will go away.

That said, I suspect and hope that this really is a non-issue. Because even if the libraries toss every book published before U2 released "The Joshua Tree," plenty of Americans own copies of these older books. And I'd hate to think that those cherished versions of "Corduroy" and "Good Night, Moon" that we read to our kids every night are actually causing them harm.

Image: Waaytv.com

Ready for Easter? Peter Rabbit's Gone Green

JeanneSager — Wed, 25 Mar 2009 16:24:00 GMT

Part of getting ready for Easter in my house means stocking up on books for the basket to take up as much room as possible (leaving space for a few jellybeans, but just a few).

This year, you can go green for Easter with a new edition of the beloved bunny books from Beatrix Potter, reissued in a "naturally better" format.

Using Potter's original drawings and text, the new line of Peter Rabbit . . . Naturally Better books are as much an ode to Potter herself as they are the earth. A staunch environmentalist and conservationist, Beatrix Potter's love of the outdoors inspired her bunny books as well as her work with the National Trust in her native England during her life. She bred sheep and kept rabbits so child visitors would not be disappointed.

When Potter died, she left some four thousand acres and several fams to the Trust to keep the land pristine and undeveloped. To this day, the area remains one of the most rural in all of England.

Now her books are going to help her cause, along with new environmentally-friendly food, toiletries and toys.The licensor of theThe World of Beatrix Potter has drawn up a comprehensive Corporate Social Responsibility calling for all products to be made by suppliers who adhere to ethical working practices and who support healthy formulation of products. "Everyday food products will contain organic ingredients, be GM free, and will contain no added salt or sugar. Toiletries are free from harmful and unnecessary chemicals such as artificial musks, parabens and phthalates, are not tested on animals and will be hypoallergenic."

Publishers of the twenty-three original Peter Rabbit books plus a few new titles (including the Peter Rabbit Peekaboo with interactive flaps) have earned certification from the Forest Stewardship Council, an international non-profit which focuses on the sustainability of forests. According to FSC, "products bearing the FSC logo, which guarantees that the wood from a certified well-managed forest, are available across the world from a variety of mills, manufacturers, and distributors."

Want to turn your kids' Easter baskets green? Fill up on bunny books from Beatrix Potter that are "naturally better" at Amazon.

Image: PeterRabbit.com

Harry Potter Book Sells for $19K - Too Much?

JeanneSager — Fri, 20 Mar 2009 21:34:00 GMT

I love me some Hogwarts. But I don't know that I could ever love a children's book this much.

A rare copy of the first book in the Harry Potter series - Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone here in the states, Harry Potter and the Philosopher's Stone in author J.K. Rowling's native England, has sold for $19,120.

Autographed by Rowling, the first edition soft cover book was expected to fetch $12,000 at the auction in Texas, and the sale obviously exceeded the auction house's expectations. It's not actually the biggest blowout for Potter paraphernalia - an eight-hundred word prequel hand-written by Rowling sold for almost $50,000 last June to help an English writer's group and a charity for dyslexics.

But I confess I just don't get it - and not just in light of the current state of the economy. It's a children's book, and what crazy loon is going to let their kid flip through the pages of a $19,000 book? I'm one of those adults who went hogwild for Harry, but I still think books are to be read . . . not stared at on a shelf somewhere. When it comes to children's books in particular, I'm all the more inclined to say get them out there, get those kids reading!

What do you think? If you had the money, would you blow it on something like this?

Image: Amazon

Eric Carle's Very Hungry Childhood

Hannah Tennant-Moore — Tue, 17 Mar 2009 23:12:00 GMT

It’s hard to read Eric Carle’s books the same way once you know where he came from. As Newsweek writes about the 80-year-old children’s author who has made millions off his classic The Very Hungry Caterpillar, Carle’s childhood was far from the rosy world portrayed in his books.

Born to German immigrants in New York, Carle was upended at the age of six to move back to Germany, for which his mother was terribly homesick. The carefree freedom of the first six years of his life quickly eroded, replaced by teachers armed with bamboo switches and the panic of war. His father was drafted to fight for Germany, leaving Carle and his mother starving and spending much of their time hiding from bombs in their cellar. After the war, Carle’s father was sent to a Russian work camp and returned two years later a broken man.

Carle continued to dream of the United States until he returned in 1952 to pursue his artistic dreams. So, interestingly, the classic American children’s books he's written are, in many ways, an ode to America.

"With my books," Carle says, "I try to recapture a period I should've had and didn't—for more fun, more nonsense, more humor." While he has certainly succeeded on these counts, Carle’s books also have a hint of dark depth—the solitary caterpillar slowly eating his way through all of the treats he can get, as if no amount of food could quell his hunger.

Naturally, the caterpillar’s monotonous, lonely existence makes young readers feel all the more triumphant when they turn the page to find into a colorful butterfly, poised to take flight.

Photo: www.judyoz.com

Kids Get in on the Man on Wire Story

JeanneSager — Fri, 13 Mar 2009 12:28:00 GMT

Since the adult version won an Academy Award last month, the buzz about Man on Wire has hit a fever pitch. Want to share it with your kids?

Scholastic has adapted the Caldecott Award-winning children's book about Philippe Petit's tight rope walk between the towers into a movie just for them.

The Man Who Walked Between the Towers . . . and More Inspiring Tales is based on a 2003 title for kids four to eight. Using Mordicai Gerstein's dramatic and richly detailed illustrations from the book, Scholastic added animation that lets the kids hop from a Petit-eye-view to the pedestrians on the street and up into the sky. Jake Gyllenhaal lends his voice, telling the tale of the long night of preparation and the day that shocked the world. Petit is almost childlike himself, lying down on his long balancing stick, dancing among the clouds and grinning all the while, giving kids a look at a dream.

It's accompanied by three more tales, including Snowflake Bentley, another Caldecott Medal-winning book adaptation that tells the story of a real life hero, the man who discovered that no two snowflakes are alike and The Pot that Juan Built, about one of Mexico's most famous potters. Each is voiced by stars with stellar voices, including Claire Danes, Sean Astin and Alfred Molina, taking kids on real-life adventures.

Borrow the books from the library, read them, then watch them in animated form - some with live action thrown in - to give your kids another look at the world of literature. Like the read-along tapes we had as kids, the focus on putting books on DVD can be a great companion piece to your regular storytime or a jumpstart to get kids interested in reading.

The Man Who Walked Between the Towers . . . and More Inspiring Tales has stories for kids at any age - even big kids who would give anything for one day as Petit, who knew as long as he stayed on the wire "he was free."

Image: Amazon

Mr. Popper's Taking His Penguins to the Movies!

It's a Circus Out There for The Wonder Pets

Mr. Popper's Taking His Penguins to the Movies!

JeanneSager — Thu, 12 Mar 2009 12:02:00 GMT

Third graders everywhere are about to get a chance to cheat on their book reports. Come on - you know that's what happens when they push a classic children's book onto the big screen.

In this case, they made a good choice - because before there was the March of the Penguins and the Madagascar penguins, there was Mr. Popper and his brood of waddling birds.

Mr. Popper's Penguins, a 1938 Newberry Honor Award winner, took a broke house painter on an adventure of Antarctic proportions when explorer Admiral Drake ships him a penguin via air mail. The family names him Captain Cook and sets up a home for him in the icebox (the name for a freezer back in 1938), but when he gets lonely another penguin gets shipped in - a female, who starts laying egg after massive penguin egg.

There's not much known about the film version yet - Twentieth Century Fox apparently paid seven figures for rights to produce it, and writer/director Sean Anders and co-writer John Morris (the men who wrote Sex Drive) have gotten the nod to write up the screenplay.

Get your kids ready for the film with this site, full of facts on explorers like Admiral Drake, Antarctica facts and even a house-painting practice game.

Image: ScreeningLog

Dad Battles Kangaroo, Can You?

JeanneSager — Tue, 10 Mar 2009 18:28:00 GMT

Proof that children's books can really skew your view of the world - I've always thought of kangaroos as sweet and lovable, not unlike mama Kanga and her irascible youngster, Roo.

If you've got a similiar kangaroo crush, this story might make you whistle a different tune. An Australian family was awoken in the middle of the night by their ten-year-old screaming that a kangaroo had broken into his room. Nightmare? You don't know the half of it.

The frightened creature thrashed his way around the house, breaking glass and trouncing on Mom and one of the kids huddled under a quilt until a burst of adrenaline sent Dad flying for the six-foot-tall creature. He wrestled it to the ground, and aware that kangaroos get the bulk of their power from their massive legs, kept her close to the ground as he dragged her to the front door and shoved her out onto the porch to hop away.

His wife says it was probably the stupidest thing he could have done - considering the danger posed by those powerful legs - but he's definitely her knight in shining armor. The kangaroo was like a "ninja" or "Jackie Chan" busting around her house.

You probably don't have much to worry about if you don't live next door to a kangaroo reservation like these folks, but can't you imagine being that dad? The one who sees baby bear in trouble and just goes for it? I've read stories over the years of parents lifting entire cars off of their children or dads who have never shot a gun taking perfect aim at a dog that's chewing on their baby's face.

But bringing down a kangaroo? Only down under . . .

Image: Stanford

Meet Your Kids' New Superhero: Ladybug Girl

JeanneSager — Thu, 05 Mar 2009 15:26:00 GMT

She's back!

Ladybug Girl, the pint-sized superhero who leaps sidewalk cracks in a single bound and isn't afraid to splash her speckled red boots in the possibly shark-infested waters of the local pond has returned to bookshelves to introduce a new member of the playground power pack: Bumblebee Boy.

Ladybug Girl and Bumblebee Boy is the second in the new series from husband and wife team Jacky Davis (a former producer of the Wubbulous World of Dr. Seuss) and David Soman. Inspired by their own kids and a focus on getting them outside to enjoy the natural world, the couple introduced the world to a girl hero that parents could get behind last spring.

Ladybug Girl Lulu wears sparkly red tutus and spotted wings, but she's not afraid of getting either one a little dirty - or hunkering down in said tutu in the middle of a stone fort in the woods. Spirited and smart, she makes her own fun out of anything - even if the only spectator to her feats is the family dog.

In the book that hits shelves today, she's got the whole playground watching, and joining in. Yet another example of why girls rule, this Penguin offering doesn't neglect the boys. Clad in yellow and black, Lulu's friend Sam finds his own superpower in the flight of the bumblebee, flapping his wings to fly as high as Ladybug Girl on the swings, and joining forces to tackle the playground monster (aka the tire swing). Drawn in intricate detail and bold colors by Soman, Ladybug Girl and Bumblebee Boy offers a gentle reminder that kids let loose outside can create their own fun - no pile of expensive toys required.

Add in the element of children negotiating their own terms of friendship, and it's a story that empowers kids and reinforces parents' faith that kids who enjoy just being kids are going to be OK.

Image: Amazon

Four Children's Books That Almost Weren't

JeanneSager — Thu, 12 Feb 2009 17:33:00 GMT

Ever wonder what the world would be like without some of your childhood favorites - or your children's favorites?

Like a world without Dr. Seuss? No literary agent or publisher is perfect, but here's a list of some of the books only a bonehead would have said no to - and did:

And to Think That I Saw it on Mulberry Street - It was Dr. Seuss' first attempt. If he'd let some twenty-seven rejection letters keep him down, we'd have to breakfast on regular old yellow and white eggs and pink ham. Really, would we have them any other way?
Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone - It took around nine tries for J.K. (Jo) Rowling to find a mortgage broker for Hogwarts. Anyone want to argue that they had a point? Anyone? Bueller?
A Wrinkle in Time - Madeline L'Engle reportedly collected twenty-six rejections before Farrar, Straus and Giroux picked up the book that would later earn the 1963 Newberry Award and kick off a three-book series. Most of the objections, the late L'Engle once said were "that it would not be able to find an audience, that it was too difficult for children."
The Princess Diaries - Today Meg Cabot has two movies under her belt as well as plenty of adult fiction to her name, but first came her seventeen attempts to find someone who would give her princess prose a place. She says she keeps the bag of rejection letters under her bed; and they're too hard to lift! "Some of them were really, really mean -- unnecessarily. One said "The Princess Diaries" was just not suitable for children. It's funny how they are really nice to me now."

Image: Amazon

Ramona Quimby Hits the Big Screen

Hannah Tennant-Moore — Mon, 09 Feb 2009 21:00:00 GMT

There’s a Ramona movie coming out, and all I have to say is, Hollywood better not ruin the books, or they'll be hell to pay. Then again, of course they'll ruin the books and they'll probably just make a ton of money doing it. Sigh.

My older sister and I were obsessed with Beezus and Ramona. After my dad finished reading us every Ramona book, we started reading the books out loud to each other. We bought two goldfish just so we could name them Romana and Beezus.

So I’m not thrilled about the forthcoming Ramona movie, if Jezebel’s predictions prove accurate. The actresses playing Beezuz and Ramona are two cute-as-a-button child stars, who bear no resemblance to the real--endearingly awkward--Quimby sisters. And early publicity seems set on pegging Ramona as “wacky.” The real Ramona is just your average spunky, messy eight-year-old. That’s what is so great about the books—the characters are completely relatable, and yet completely engaging.

Of course, there may be no reason to be such a sourpuss about Hollywood's Ramona revival. Lots of girls might see the Ramona movie and end up dying to read the hilarious Beverly Clearly series. Fingers crossed.

Photo: cinematical.com

Teacher Wants to Drop Huck Finn, To Kill a Mockingbird "for Obama"

JeanneSager — Wed, 21 Jan 2009 15:37:00 GMT

Now that we have a black president, ~~an Oregon~~ a Washington teacher says he's ready to stop teaching about the days when the "n-word" was acceptable - and he's willing to say bye-bye to some of the most acclaimed books of school curricula to do it.

John Foley says he's sick of having to explain the usage of the "n-word" in Mark Twain's Huckleberry Finn and Harper Lee's To Kill a Mockingbird to his students.

Sure, in the end the authors stood as beacons of light in their time for writing books that decried racism, but Foley doesn't think kids (or "an angry African American mom") have the wherewithal to stick with it to the end of the books.

OK, let's back up here. He's decrying racism and a lack of education with . . . racism and a refusal to educate?

Foley wrote a guest editorial in a recent issue of the Seattle Post Intelligencer, noting he's sick of having to explain to those African American mothers why he has students read books that portray blacks as inarticulate and uneducated. He's weary of having black students sit in class uncomfortable when the "n-word" is read out in class. What's more - he says the kids find the books "dull and plodding," and they never get past the usage of the racist word.

And lest you think he's being satirical, Foley told the Los Angeles Times he was "bemused" by the people who came to his quasi-defense in the name of satire.

To be fair, Foley does not want to ban these books. He wants to update the curriculum, replacing what he sees as poor black role models with more empowering examples for his students. I certainly support him on that. So add a few in there, beef up the reading list. But does that have to be at the loss of literative examples of the racial struggles that led up to Obama's victory? However corny, the George Santayana quote comes to mind: "Those who do not remember the past are condemned to repeat it."

Dropping the Huck Finns of literature from our kids' reading lists is akin to whitewashing those struggles out of our history books. Where else do these children learn what the times in which the n-word" was acceptable were like? Where else will they learn that, yes, the black men depicted in these books were indeed uneducated and inarticulate - not because of stupidity but because of oppression?

As a white teacher, I can also appreciate that Foley faces a daunting task. A close friend is white and teaches at a racially diverse school in the south, where she has been called out time and again by over-sensitive parents of other ethnicities for perceived slights. I am not saying all white teachers are innocent; but unwarranted accusations can be tough on a teacher - my friend is currently seeking a move out of the classroom. Perhaps I am reading too much into his words, but it sounds like Foley has experienced having to rationalize a misperceived support of the n-word to an African American mother who has only been told by her child that the teacher used the n-word (without providing the context of the book).

He's tired. And maybe he's tired of teaching too. Because the saddest comment of all is what Foley has taken out of a classroom after all of these years teaching literature. "You have to remember, it's hard to sell kids these days on books," he told the Times. "I write young adult novels, and sometimes I wonder, why bother? You're writing for three girls who like to read."

Kids can wear teachers down, especially the kids who just don't care. But when a teacher begins to blame the kids for just not getting it or just not being able to get past a stumbling block, perhaps he needs to examine not the book and the history lesson but his method of "inspiring" young minds.

These kids need someone to tell them "that was then, and this is now." Can John Foley still do that?

Image: Amazon

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Review: Olivia the Pig Comes to Nickelodeon

JeanneSager — Tue, 20 Jan 2009 16:32:00 GMT

She's here, she's finally here! The porcine answer to Eloise has made it to Nickelodeon - or she will on the 26th - and we offer a look-see at Olivia the pig's first day on TV.

For those of you who haven't met my favorite piglet, she's the book version of author Ian Falconer's niece. Prone to driving her mother bananas with the things a six and three-quarters kid does best (opting out on naps, recreating her favorite paintings from the museum on her bedroom walls), Olivia has earned Caldecott Honors on the page.

Now the star of Olivia Saves the Circus, Olivia Forms a Band, and, of course, Olivia, has her own half-hour show on Nickelodeon. Abandoning Falconer's favored clean black and white - with splashes of red for a passionate pig - the animated version is full-color. But what it loses in terms of artistry, the TV version gains with the time allowed to bring Olivia's winsome "sixness" to life.

Broken into two storylines, the premiere episode explores the big sister/little brother rivalry made famous on Falconer's pages - putting Olivia in a tizzy when her father reveals baby brother Ian will one day grow up to be bigger than her. After all, what's the point of being the big sister if you aren't the biggest? Olivia tries convincing Ian to stop drinking milk, and warns he'll miss out on the fun of hide and seek and game time if he grows up. But when Dad reveals there's fun to be had in grown-up-land, and big sisters will always be big sisters, the sibling rivalry drops back down to normal levels.

Part two takes a snow day for a spin, and imagination takes over the house. With the flakes flying, Olivia's mom brings home her brood and two of Olivia's friends for a playdate - while the piglet turns her family house into the luxe accomodations of the Olivia hotel. Ian plays the hotel's ghost - and scares the guests - until an electric outage taxes even Olivia's imagination of how to make the hotel to the stars keep running.

Olivia makes great strides toward improving brother-sister relations in kid shows. Olivia is annoyed by Ian, but the two cobble together a friendship of sorts - with a bit of gentle pushing from their parents. The show makes a point not to celebrate Olivia's irritation with Ian, but not to downplay it either. It highlights the imperfect relationship between brothers and sisters in the best way - allowing for improvement. The result is somewhere in the middle of the perfection that is the Pinky Dinky Doo and Tyler symbiosis and the domineering Ruby to misunderstood bunny Max.

If I sound like I'm gushing, I'm sorry. I was biased walking into a screening of the first episode; after all, I named my dog Olivia after Falconer's books. But with repeated requests from my pre-schooler to watch Olivia again. . . and again . . . and again . . . I'm not the only one who sees a hit. Airing at 11:30 a.m. eastern and pacific on the 26th, all-new episodes will air all week long. Can't wait? The family can get ready with a pile of Olivia crafts, iron-ons and games over at the Nick Jr. site.

Image: Nickelodeon

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Kids to Obama: Read Books, Eat More Ice Cream

JeanneSager — Mon, 19 Jan 2009 15:36:00 GMT

Ah, if only life were this simple. A collection of letters written by children to President-Elect Barack Obama were highlighted in the New York Times last week.

Their number one pick? A series of junk food suggestions from a little girl who thinks the president elect needs to put on some weight.

The letter is, of course, pure kid - "You look too skinny. You should eat more food. this is what you should eat:" followed by a list of foods I'd love to eat but only let my daughter have on special occasions. You can get all upset that this child doesn't value "healthy" foods, or you can look at it purely from the eyes of a child. She thinks the president looks hungry. She likes him enough to suggest he eat better. And, hey, who wouldn't want a buddy to fatten up on ice cream, buttered popcorn and cotton candy?

Others in the list were written by older children, and with that comes a bit more worldliness. Most moving to me is the letter from a twelve-year-old who says her parents are split down political lines, with one highly conservative and the other ultra-liberal. "Thank you for bringing my parents somewhat closer together. :) You are my idol Mr. Barack," she says.

I admit it; it doesn't take much to get me all weepy about the future of our country. But that letter in particular brought on the little pricks in the corner of my eyes. Because after reading about the parents who refuse to let their kids attend school on Tuesday lest they see the wrong (in their eyes) president inaugurated, it's nice to know there are parents out there who don't agree with the president-elect and are still raising kids to be thoughtful, accepting, and productive members of society.

To read the whole list - from suggestions that he get more kids reading to requests to help their families get jobs, check out the Times piece. Bring the tissues.

Image: New York Times

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The Demise of the Fairy Tale

Hannah Tennant-Moore — Mon, 05 Jan 2009 20:30:00 GMT

Do you read traditional fairy tales to your kids? If so, you are in a dwindling group of parents. According to a survey of 3,000 British parents, Snow White and Hansel and Gretel are increasingly being replaced by happier modern favorites like Gruffalo and The Very Hungry Caterpillar. 25 percent of parents choose not to ever read fairy tales to their kids and 65 percent do not choose fairy tales for bedtime stories.

According to the parents who object to fairytales, Cinderella is not empowered enough. Rapunzel is “too dark.” Little Red Hiding is a bad role model for kids because she walks alone in the woods. And one-tenth of parents believe Snow White is offensive because of the un-PC term “dwarf.”

I can certainly understand the need to carefully introduce your kids to fairy tales—some of them are pretty scary, and I’ll be the first to admit that being rescued from a life of servitude by a handsome prince is no healthy goal for a young girl. But if you’re going to shield your child from Cinderella so as to avoid imparting gender stereotypes, you would have to shield her from nearly all pop culture. If Little Red Riding Hood is violent or scary, even commercials for the latest Superman movie are downright terrifying. And if Snow White wrongly teaches young women the value of being the “fairest in all the land,” Bratz dolls wrongly teach girls to be the most scantily clad in all the land.

This is not to say that we should just give up on fighting media that gives kids the wrong messages, but perhaps Jack and the Beanstalk is not the best battlefield.

Photo: The Daily Mail

Santa Reinvented: Decidedly Naughty and Passing for German

Hannah Tennant-Moore — Wed, 17 Dec 2008 19:00:00 GMT

If kids from 1907 were around today, they would be sorely disappointed in the lack of technological advancements Santa has made in the last century. The picture to the right is taken from a 1907 children's book, depicting what Santa would look like in 100 years. Screw the rein deer, our predecessors seemed to think. Santa's gonna be powered by a fan. And forget the sleigh; give the old man what Jezebel has not inaccurately termed a "dildo-shaped blimp."

In more inappropriate Santa news, The Guardian asked 10 contemporary artists to "reinvent the image of Father Christmas." The results include bikinis, beer bellies, strangulation, and Barack Obama. To give just one example by the artist Juergen Teller:

Now there's a Santa your kids would probably rather not meet.

Another artist, Rob Smith, included a cautionary tale with his Santa depiction:

"Last year, in the village where I live, I was asked to dress up as Father Christmas and give presents to the local kids. I was really flattered. I took the role seriously. I put on what I thought was a Scandinavian accent. When I asked what one little girl wanted for Christmas, she burst into tears....She cried, 'Father Christmas is a Nazi.'"

So the next time you try to impersonate a Scandinavian Santa Claus, make sure your accent is flawless.

Photos: Jezebel, The Guardian

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Book of the Week: The 9 Weirdest Picture Books of 2008

editors — Fri, 12 Dec 2008 14:01:00 GMT

Ten Stinky Babies by Ellen Olson-Brown, Illustrations by Joy Allen (Tricycle Press)

Ten stinky babies,

Start the day on time

One had his diaper changed

And then there were nine.

And so forth. This counting book is full of pictures of adorable babies. Or rather, adorable babies who just pooped. Aww?

ABC Dentist by Harriet Ziefert, illustrated by Liz Murphy (Blue Apple Books)

Plaque.

Plaque is an almost invisible white,

Sticky coating on teeth that is caused

By eating sugar and sticky foods.

If not cleaned off, plaque can cause

Cavities and gum disease.

And if you thought that was exciting, wait til you hear the part about saliva!

Inside the Slidy Diner by Laurel Snyder, Illustrations by Jaime Zollars (Tricycle Press)

Ethelmae wears a hairnet to keep

The sticks and pins from falling into the fryer.

She smells like rotten grill grease.

When she scratches her back with the spatula,

Flies stick to her icky sweater.

Yes, we know that children delight in gross things, but when a book activates a parent's gag reflex (with its description of a diner where “the chocolate milk isn’t really chocolate” and the greasy booths slide into the street), a line has been crossed.

Mazes Around the World by Mary D. Lankford, Illustrated by Karen Dugan (Harper Collins)

The Klaas Voogds Maze is built of fourteen different varieties of hedge shrubs, including the tecomaria and the hibiscus, which flower year-round.

British water mazes! Swedish stone mazes! Religious mazes! Woven mazes! Maize mazes! How to say “maze” in Portugese! Talk about a niche market…

The Grey Boy by Lluis Farre, Illustrated by Gusti (Winged Chariot Press)

It seemed that Joshua would stay grey forever

Both inside and out.

His family could already imagine what he’d be like

When he grew up, sitting a grey office,

Wearing a grey suit and tie and filling the world

With grey children.

This is the story of a boy who’s born grey in a world of colorful people, and is incapable of feeling anything… until he watches his hamster almost choke to death. Sweet dreams, kiddos!

Old MacNoah Had an Ark by Sally Lloyd-Jones, Illustrated by Jill Newton (Harper Collins)

And on that ark they had some lunch

Ee-i-ee-i-o

With a burp! slurp! here

And a burp! slurp! there

This Noah’s Ark retelling doesn’t provide any Biblical reference whatsoever, but it has lots of burping. Oh, and poop.

Twelve Terrible Things by Marty Kelly (Tricycle)

1 Oooopsie!

2 There’s nothing under the bed… There’s nothing under the bed…

3 Say Ahhh…

4 Hold still, I’m almost done.

Featuring an implement-wielding dentist, a scary clown, an under-the-bed monster and nine other horrific things staring you down from the pages, this book is like a Saw movie...for kids.

McFig & McFly by Henrik Drescher (Candlewick)

At last, McFly settled into a big old easy chair and started to watch nature show reruns. By the end of the week – with one loud last snore – he passed away from sheer boredom. He was buried next to McFig. Their tombstones were exactly the same size.

A cute little tale about the perils of keeping up with the Joneses turns macabre when both of the main characters, um, die tragically.

No! That’s Wrong! By Zhaohua Ji and Cui Xu (Kane/Miller)

What are you doing?

Why are you wearing

Underpants on your head?

It’s not a hat.

They’re underpants.

There’s something vaguely unsettling about watching a series of forest creatures try on the same pair of lacy red panties in an effort to determine whether they’re underwear or headgear. Just saying.

What are the strangest children’s books you’ve stumbled across this year? Let us know in the Comments section! -- Gwynne Watkins

Their Favorite Characters: Christmas-ized

JeanneSager — Wed, 10 Dec 2008 20:24:00 GMT

Excuse me for not noticing this until I became a parent. The mass marketing of children's characters has gone holidays.

Yes, I know, I've apparently been asleep at the wheel. But until my daughter started pointing out the Christmas-ized copies of some of her favorite literary friends in the stores, I had limited our holiday readings to the classics. The Polar Express. How the Grinch Stole Christmas. The Nutcracker. That they take every character known to man and shove them into a holiday story to squeeze some extra cash out of their cute faces should bother me. It used to. But not anymore.

Call it the holiday spirit. Call it giving in to mass marketing. Or call it a meeting of the minds. Some of the new versions have brought old favorites back to life. Others have just made some of the blah characters of today more palatable.

Take Maisy the much-maligned mouse. Bashed here on Babble to great hilarity a few years back, the mere mention of her name once made me cringe. Until my daughter got a lesson in Maisy from her cousin . . . and met a real-live Maisy with blonde pigtails. Suddenly, the Lucy Cousins character needed to find a home in our house. Maisy's Christmas Day is the kid version of my favored chick lit. Light. Fluffy. And the kid loves it. LOVES it. I've got to tell you - there are good little lessons packed inside. The animals say thank you. They're genuinely pleased with all of their gifts. And Miss Maisy sports some stylin' tights. Madeline's Christmas takes my favorite French girl through the streets of Paris on a flying rug. The girls bust out of their two straight lines to fly off on an adventure, but, of course, Madeline is the hero of the day.

Slipping her characters into Christmas tales (or Halloween, or Valentine's Day, or Hannukah for that matter) doesn't carry with it quite the same sense of discovery as a trip aboard VanAllsburg's classic, but letting her find out about joy and love and the holiday spirit her way can't be all bad, commercial or not.

So don't laugh - I've already put in an order for the winter-ized version of Guess How Much I Love You - due out two days before Christmas. (An early look-see at Let's Play in the Snow promises sharing that cold stuff with the Nutbrown Hares is as much fun as actually dipping their hands in a pile of wet fluff and letting go, so what the heck).

Image: Amazon

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They Say: Boys Read if Dad Does

JeanneSager — Mon, 01 Dec 2008 20:30:00 GMT

Does your son like to read? Congratulations, Dad, you're doing your job.

A new study out of Australia says boys in two-parents households are more likely to read if their father does. If Mom reads, girls do too. In single-parent households (where Mom is usually the present parent - at least in this study), kids of both genders were equally influenced by Mom's reading habits. So what's the catch?

Parents need to put in at least fifty minutes of daily reading time for their efforts to have any affect on their kids, the study concluded, and too few parents do. The figures showed only seventeen percent of boys are reading and only twenty-six percent of girls - and that included their homework.

It all sounds like a no-brainer to me. I often harp on the time I stood in the mall bookstore listening to a mother whine to the clerk that she was starting a book club with her friends, but she doesn't really like to read. "Do you have anything fun to read?" she asked. "Most books are boring." She said this with her son (who looked to be about seven) standing right beside her. It's no wonder when she turned to him and asked, "Do you want me to buy you anything?" that he shook his head. "No, can we go to Target now?" he asked.

You just said books are boring, lady, and you really expect your kid to say, "yeah, I want this one, and this one, and this one?"

What struck me most about the study, however, was the reminder that parents reading isn't enough. You have to do it IN FRONT OF your kids. Again, a no brainer. But that's the hard part. I get most of my reading in at bedtime, after my three-year-old is snuggled into her bed. Either my husband or I make sure we do the nightly book before bed with her, but our own reading habits are largely closeted. Not because we're hiding them from her, but because there's simply little time during the day to read while she's awake.

There's work, making dinner, giving her a bath, playing with her . . . even the times I try to curl up on the couch with the latest piece of fluff I've checked out of the library to escape into is interrupted by the dog who has to go out, the phone ringing, the pre-schooler who wants a cup of juice. Still, I try. We visit the library - a lot. I keep my books and magazines scattered around the house. I read to her, and each holiday is celebrated with a new book.

How do you keep them reading?

Image: YourDictionary.com