PLANETESME PICKS: A 2009 INDEX

PLANETESME PICKS:  A 2009 INDEX

It's spring, and that means it's time for our tradition: to salute the successes of the recent past that usher in this new season of children's books!  The prior year in the industry has weathered a fairly harrowing horoscope; massive layoffs and streamlining in the children's publishing industry in December of 2008 shifted talents to new and independent arenas, and many editors, designers and publicists were lost, though some rose in Phoenix-like form to become agents and freelancers.  Moreover, education itself was in flux with new administration wrangling with old ideas about assessment and accountability, budget cuts, teacher retention issues and rising class sizes, and economic divides that threaten to limit opportunity.  I look at the problems we face, and at our list, and I am undaunted.  Though the digging might be deeper (and the influence of marketing and sales more apparent), there are still diamonds to be mined, and regardless of obstacles to children's education invented by economy and policy, the commitment to share the best with children is unwavering in the hearts, minds, pens, keyboards and brushes of the best writers and artists. So I ask you to use this list and take heart:  keep supporting and building the collections of school, public and home libraries, keep sharing with all children as if they were each your own, keep insisting on quality and keep reading aloud!  Even in the thick of it, the truth remains:  a great children's book in the hands of a rich child is the same great book in the hands of a poor child, and access to literature is still our nation's best hope for equalizing education in America.  In these books below we find the grace of a Gilbert and Sullivan operetta, many walks on the moon (and even on Mars), trips across every continent (and a how-to on building your own country, if all else fails), great tales of victory, humor, history, friendship and fantasy, the natural world...in these books are an education, for wherever else there isn't one.  Congratulations to all the authors and illustrators who made the cut this year, and if there's a spectacular book published in 2009 that was missed, please share it in the comments section!

PICTURE BOOKS
ACORNS EVERYWHERE by Kevin Sherry (Dial)
ADIOS, OSCAR! A BUTTERFLY FABLE by Peter Elwell (Blue Sky, Scholastic)
ALL IN A DAY by Cynthia Rylant, illustrated by Nikki McClure (Abrams)
THE ANACONDA ATE MY HOMEWORK! by Alice Schertle, illustrated by Aaron Renier (Hyperion)
APPLESAUCE SEASON by Eden Ross Lipson, illustrated by Mordicai Gerstein (Roaring Brook)
ARE YOU A HORSE? by Andy Rash (Arthur A. Levine/Scholastic) 
AROUND THE WORLD WITH MOUK by Marc Boutavant (Chronicle)
THE BECKONING CAT by Koko Nishizuka, illustrated by Rosanne Litzinger (Holiday House)
BELLA & BEAN by Rebecca Kai Dotlich, illustrated by Aileen Leijten (Atheneum)
BEST BABY EVER by David Milgrim (Putnam)
BIG BEAR HUG by Nicholas Oldland (Kids Can Press)
BILLY TWITTERS AND HIS BLUE WHALE PROBLEM by Mac Barnett, illustrated by Adam Rex (Hyperion)
A BIRTHDAY FOR BEAR by Bonny Becker, illustrated by Kady MacDonald Denton (Candlewick)
BOG BABY by Jeanne Willis, illustrated by Gwen Millward (Schwartz & Wade)
BOO TO YOU! by Lois Ehlert (Beach Lane)
A BOOK by Mordicai Gerstein (Roaring Brook)
A BOOK OF SLEEP by Il Sung Na (Knopf)
THE BOOK THAT EATS PEOPLE by John Perry, illustrated by Mark Fearing (Tricycle)
THE BUSIEST STREET IN TOWN by Mara Rockliff, illustrated by Sarah McMenemy (Knopf)
BUT WHO WILL BELL THE CATS? by Cynthia Von Buhler (Houghton Mifflin)
THE CAT AT NIGHT by Dahlov Ipcar (Islandport Press)
CAT DREAMS by Ursula LeGuin, illustrated by S.D. Schindler (Orchard)
COME BACK SOON by Daniel Schallau (Houghton Mifflin)
A COYOTE SOLSTICE by Thomas King, illustrated by Gary Clement (Groundwood)
DARK NIGHT by Dorothée de Monfried (Random House)
THE DINOSAUR TAMER by Carol Greathouse, illustrated by John Shroades (Dutton)
DINOSAURS ROAR, BUTTERFLIES SOAR by Bob Barner (Chronicle)
DOGS DON'T BRUSH THEIR TEETH by Diane DeGroat and Shelly Rotner (Orchard)
DOODLE BITES by Polly Dunbar (Candlewick)
DUCK DUCK MOOSE by Dave Horowitz (Putnam)
DUCK! RABBIT! by Amy Krouse Rosenthal, illustrated by Tom Lichtenheld (Chronicle)
EPOSSUMONDAS PLAYS POSSUM by Coleen Salley, illustrated by Janet Stevens (Harcourt)
FANCY NANCY: SPLENDIFEROUS CHRISTMAS by Jane O'Connor, illustrated by Robin Preiss Glasser (HarperCollins)
FIREFIGHTER TED by Andrea Beaty, illustrated by Oascal Lemaitre (McElderberry)
A FRIEND LIKE YOU by Tanja Askani (Scholastic)
GERTRUDE IS GERTRUDE IS GERTRUDE IS GERTRUDE by Jonah Winter, illustrated by Calef Brown (Atheneum)
GOLDILOCKS AND THE THREE BEARS by Lauren Child (Hyperion)
GONE WITH THE WAND by Margie Palatini, illustrated by Brian Ajhar (Orchard Books)
GRACIAS * THANKS by Pat Mora, illustrated by John Parra (Lee & Low)
GROUNDHOG WEATHER SCHOOL by Joan Holub, illustrated by Kristin Sorra (Putnam)
THE GRUMPY DUMP TRUCK by Brie Spangler (Knopf)
HAPPY BELLY, HAPPY SMILE by Rachel Isadora (Harcourt)
HAVE I GOT A BOOK FOR YOU! by Mélanie Watt (Kids Can Press)
HERE COMES GOSLING! by Andy Asher, illustrated by Keith Graves (Philomel)
HERE COMES JACK FROST by Kazuno Kohara (Roaring Brook)
HIGHER! HIGHER! by Leslie Patricelli (Candlewick)
HURRY UP AND SLOW DOWN by Layn Marlow (Holiday House)
I KNOW A LOT OF THINGS by Ann and Paul Rand (Chronicle)(reprint)
I WILL BE ESPECIALLY VERY CAREFUL by Lauren Child (Dial)
I'M YOUR BUS by Marilyn Singer, illustrated by Evan Polenghi (Scholastic)
IMOGENE'S LAST STAND by Candace Fleming, illustrated by Nancy Carpenter (Schwartz & Wade)
IT'S A SECRET by John Burningham (Candlewick)
IT'S PICTURE DAY TODAY by Megan McDonald, illustrated by Katherine Tillotson (Atheneum)
JOE AND SPARKY GET NEW WHEELS by Jaime Michalak, illustrated by Frank Remkiewicz (Candlewick)
JUST HOW LONG CAN A LONG STRING BE? by Keith Baker (Scholastic)
THE KING OF QUIZZICAL ISLAND by Gordon Snell, illustrated by David McKee (Candlewick)
KISSES ON THE WIND by Lisa Moser, illustrated by Kathryn Brown (Candlewick)
LEON AND THE PLACE BETWEEN by Grahame Baker Smith (Templar Books)
LIN YI'S LANTERN: A MOON FESTIVAL TALE by Brenda Williams and Benjamin Lacombe (Barefoot)
LION'S LUNCH? by Fiona Tierney, illustrated by Margaret Chamberlain (Chicken House)
THE LION & THE MOUSE by Jerry Pinkney (Little, Brown)
LITTLE OINK by Amy Krouse Rosenthal, illustrated by Jen Corace (Chronicle)
THE LITTLE RED ELF by Barbara Barbieri McGrath, illustrated by Rosalinde Bonnet (Charlesbridge)
LLAMA LLAMA MISSES MAMA by Anna Dewdney (Viking)
LOST AND FOUND: THREE DOG STORIES by Jim LaMarche (Chronicle)
MAGGIE'S MONKEYS by Linda Sanders-Wells, illustrated by Abby Carter (Candlewick)
MAISY BAKES A CAKE by Lucy Cousins (Candlewick)
MAMA SAYS: A BOOK OF LOVE FOR MOTHERS AND SONS by Rob D. Walker, ilustrated by Leo and Diane Dillon (Blue Sky/Scholastic)
ME WITH YOU by Kristy Dempsey, illustrated by Christopher Denise (Philomel)
MIGHTY CASEY by James Preller, illustrated by Matthew Cordell (Feiwel and Friends)
MILO ARMADILLO by Jan Fearnley (Candlewick)
MINERVA LOUISE ON HALLOWEEN by Janet Morgan Stoeke (Dutton)
THE MISSING CHICK by Valeri Gorbachev (Candlewick)
MOON RABBIT by Natalie Russell (Viking)
MY ABUELITA by Tony Johnston, illustrated by Yuyi Morales (Harcourt)
NEW YEAR AT THE PIER: A ROSH HASHANAH STORY by April Halprin Wayland, illustrated by Stéphane Jorisch (Dial)
NED'S NEW HOME by Kevin Tseng (Tricycle)
THE NIGHT BEFORE CHRISTMAS retold and illustrated by Rachel Isadora (Putnam)
NIGHT LIGHTS by Susan Gal (Knopf)
NOT LAST NIGHT BUT THE NIGHT BEFORE by Colin McNaughton, illustrated by Emma Chichester Clark (Candlewick)
OLIVER, THE SPACESHIP AND ME by Lynn Rowe Reed (Holiday House)
ONCE UPON A TWICE by Denise Doyen, illustrated by Barry Moser (Random House)
ONLY A WITCH CAN FLY by Alison McGhee, illustrated by Taeeun Yoo (Feiwel & Friends)
OTIS by Loren Long (Philomel)
OUR ABE LINCOLN by Jim Aylesworth, illustrated by Barbara McClintock (Scholastic)
PEENY BUTTER FUDGE by Toni and Slade Morrison, illustrated by Joe Cepeda (Simon & Schuster)
A PENGUIN STORY by Antoinette Portis (HarperCollins)
PENNIES FOR ELEPHANTS by Lita Judge (Hyperion)
THE PLOT CHICKENS by Mary Jane and Herm Auch (Holiday House)
POODLE AND HOUND by Kathryn Lasky, illustrated by Mitch Vane (Charlesbridge)
A POP-UP BOOK OF NURSERY RHYMES by Matthew Reinhart (Little Simon)
PRINCESS BESS GETS DRESSED by Margery Cuyler, illustrated by Heather Maione (Simon & Schuster)
PRINCESS HYACINTH: THE SURPRISING TALE OF A GIRL WHO FLOATED By Florence Parry Heide, illustrated by Lane Smith (Schwartz & Wade)
PRINCESS PARTY by Joy Allen (Putnam)
PRINCESS PIG by Eileen Spinelli, illustrated by Tim Bowers (Knopf)
PUZZLEHEAD by James Yang (Atheneum)
R ROBOT SAVES LUNCH by R. Nicholas Kuszyk (Putnam)
RASPBERRIES! by Jay O'Callahan, illustrated by Will Moses (Philomel)
RHYMES ROUND THE WORLD by Kay Chorao (Dutton)
RUMBLE TUM by Stephanie True Peters, illustrated by Robert Papp (Dutton)
THE SECRET CIRCUS by Johanna Wright (Roaring Brook)
THE SECRET OF SANTA'S ISLAND by Steven Breen (Dial)
SHAPE by David Goodman and Zoe Miller (Tate Publishing)
THE SEEING STICK by Jane Yolen, illustrated by Daniela Jaglenka Terrazzini (RP Kids)
SNOW BUGS by David A. Carter (Little Simon)
SNOW WHITE: A THREE-DIMENSIONAL FAIRY TALE THEATER by Jane Ray (Candlewick)
SONG OF MIDDLE C by Alison McGhee, illustrated by Scott Menchin (Candlewick)
SPOT THE PLOT: A RIDDLE BOOK OF BOOK RIDDLES by J. Patrick Lewis, illustrated by Lynn Munsinger (Chronicle)
STICK MAN by Julia Donaldson, illustrated by Axel Scheffler (Scholastic)
STREGA NONA'S HARVEST by Tomie DePaola (Putnam)
SUBWAY RIDE by Heather Lynn Miller, illustrated by Sue Rama (Charlesbridge)
THIS LITTLE BUNNY CAN BAKE by Janet Stein (Schwartz & Wade)
TILLIE LAYS AN EGG by Terry Golson, with photographs by Ben Fink (Scholastic)
TOUGH CHICKS by Cece Meng, illustrated by Melissa Suber (Clarion)
TROUBLE GUM by Matthew Cordell (Feiwel and Friends)
THE UGLY DUCKLING by Rachel Isadora (Putnam)
URBAN ANIMALS by Isabel Hill (Star Bright)
WAITING FOR WINTER by Sebastian Meschenmoser (Kane Miller)
WHEN I GROW UP by Leonid Gore (Scholastic)
WHERE TEDDY BEARS COME FROM by Mark Burgess, illustrated by Russell Ayto (Peachtree)
WHO WILL I BE, LORD? by Vaunda Micheaux Nelson, illustrated by Sean Qualls (Random House)
WHO WOULD LIKE A CHRISTMAS TREE?: A TREE FOR ALL SEASONS by Ellen Obed, illustrated by Anne Hunter (Houghton Mifflin)
WINK: THE NINJA WHO WANTED TO BE NOTICED by J.C. Phillipps (Viking)
THE YELLOW TUTU by Kirsten Bramsen, illustrated by Carin Bramsen (Random House)
YUMMY! EIGHT FAVORITE FAIRY TALES by Lucy Cousins (Candlewick)

FICTION
11 BIRTHDAYS by Wendy Mass (Scholastic)
ALL THE BROKEN PIECES by Ann E. Burg (Scholastic)
THE BOOK OF THE MAIDSERVANT by Rebecca Barnhouse (Random House)
BORN TO FLY by Michael Ferrari (Delacorte)
THE BOY IN THE DRESS by David Walliams, illustrated by Quentin Blake (Penguin)
CAMILLE McPHEE FELL UNDER THE BUS by Kristen Tracy (Delacorte)
CREEPY, CRAWLY CRIME (JOEY FLY, PRIVATE EYE) by Aaron Reynolds, illustrated by Neil Numberman (Henry Holt)
THE CURSE OF THE ROMANY WOLVES by S. Jones Rogan, illustrated by Christian Slade (Knopf)
DEAR PEN PAL: MOTHER-DAUGHTER BOOK CLUB by Heather Vogel Frederick (Simon and Schuster)
DESSERT FIRST by Hallie Durand, illustrated by Christine Davenier (Atheneum)
THE DOLL SHOP DOWNSTAIRS by Yona Zeldis McDonough, illustrated by Heather Maione (Viking)
DORMIA by Jake Halpern and Petr Kujawinski (Houghton Mifflin)
THE DRAGON OF TRELIAN by Michelle Knudsen (Candlewick)
EMMALINE AND THE BUNNY by Katherine Hannigan (Greenwillow)
THE ENTOMOLOGICAL TALES OF AUGUSTUS T. PERCIVAL: PETRONELLA SAVES NEARLY EVERYONE by Dene Low (Houghton Mifflin)
EVER BREATH by Julianna Baggott (Delacorte)
THE EVOLUTION OF CALPURNIA TATE by Jacqueline Kelly (Henry Holt)
EXCELLENT EMMA by Sally Warner, illustrated by Jamie Harper (Viking)
EXTRA CREDIT by Andrew Clements (Atheneum)
FAMILY REMINDERS by Julie Danneberg, illustrated by John Shelley (Charlesbridge)
A FARAWAY ISLAND by Annika Thor (Delacorte Press)
A FINDER'S MAGIC by Philippa Pearce, illustrated by Helen Craig (Candlewick)
FLIGHT OF THE PHOENIX: NATHAN FLUDD, BEASTOLOGIST, BOOK I by R.L. La Fevers, illustrated by Kelly Murphy (Houghton Mifflin)
THE GENIE SCHEME by Kimberly K. Jones (McElderberry)
THE HOMESCHOOL LIBERATION LEAGUE by Lucy Frank (Dial)
I AM JACK by Susanne Gervay (Tricycle)
JEMMA HARTMAN, CAMPER EXTRAORDINAIRE by Brenda Ferber (Farrar Straus and Giroux)
JULIA GILLIAN (AND THE QUEST FOR JOY) by Alison McGhee, illustrated by Drazen Kozjan (Scholastic)
JUST GRACE GOES GREEN by Cherise Mericle Harper (Houghton Mifflin Harcourt)
LEO AND THE LESSER LION by Sandra Forrester (Knopf)
LOOK OUT, JEREMY BEAN! by Alice Schertle, illustrated by David Slonim (Chronicle)
LUNCH LADY AND THE LEAGUE OF LIBRARIANS by Jarrett J. Krosoczka (Knopf)
THE MAD, MAD, MAD, MAD TREASURE HUNT by Megan McDonald, illustrated by Peter H. Reynolds (Candlewick)
THE MAGICAL MS. PLUM by Bonny Becker, illustrated by Amy Portnoy (Knopf)
MAKE WAY FOR DYAMONDE DANIEL by Nikki Grimes, illustrated by R. Gregory Christie (Putnam)
MATISSE ON THE LOOSE by Georgia Bragg (Delacorte)
MELONHEAD by Katy Kelly, illustrated by Gilian Johnson (Delacorte)
THE MOSTLY TRUE ADVENTURES OF HOMER P. FIGG by Rodman Philbrick (Scholastic)
NANA CRACKS THE CASE! by Kathleen Lane, illustrated by Sarah Horne (Chronicle)
NOODLE PIE by Ruth Starke (Kane Miller)
PARIS PAN TAKES THE DARE by Cynthea Liu (Putnam)
THE POISONS OF CAUX: THE HOLLOW BETTLE (BOOK ONE) by Susannah Applebaum (Knopf)
RISSA BARTHOLOMEW’S DECLARATION OF INDEPENDENCE by Lydia B. Comerford (Scholastic)
SEA OF THE DEAD by Julia Durango (Simon & Schuster)
THE SMALL ADVENTURE OF POPEYE AND ELVIS by Barnara O’Connor (Farrar, Straus Giroux)
STONEWALL HINKLEMAN AND THE BATTLE OF BULL RUN by Michael Hemphill and Sam Riddleburger (Dial)
THE STORM IN THE BARN by Matt Phelan (Candlewick)
STRAWBERRY HILL by Mary Ann Hoberman (Little, Brown)
SUNNY HOLIDAY by Coleen Murtagh Paratore (Scholastic)
SYLVIE AND THE SONGMAN by Tim Binding, illustrated by Angela Barrett (David Fickling Books)
THE TEASHOP GIRLS by Laura Schaefer (Simon & Schuster)
TOFU QUILT by Ching Yeung Russell (Lee & Low)
THE TROUBLE WITH MARK HOPPER by Elissa Brent Weissman (Dutton)
WHEN YOU REACH ME by Rebecca Stead (Wendy Lamb Books)
WHERE THE MOUNTAIN MEETS THE MOON by Grace Lin (Little, Brown)
WILD STORIES by Colin Thompson (Kane Miller)
WISHWORKS INC. by Stephanie Tolan (Arthur Levine/Scholastic)
THE YEAR THE SWALLOWS CAME EARLY by Kathryn Fitzgerald (HarperCollins)

NONFICTION

ANIMALS AND HABITATS OF THE UNITED STATES by Jeff Corwin (Puffin)
AFRICAN ACROSTIC: A WORD IN EDGEWAYS by Avis Harley (Candlewick)
AFTER GANDHI: ONE HUNDRED YEARS OF NONVIOLENT RESISTANCE by Anne Silbey O'Brien and Perry Edmond O'Brien (Charlesbridge)
ALMOST ASTRONAUTS: 13 WOMEN WHO DARED TO DREAM by Tanya Lee Stone (Candlewick)
ASHLEY BRYAN: WORDS TO MY LIFE'S SONG by Ashley Bryan (Atheneum)
BALARAMA: A ROYAL ELEPHANT by Ted and Betsy Lewin (Lee & Low)
BARBARIANS by Steven Kroll, illustrated by Robert Byrd (Dutton)
THE BEATITUDES: FROM SLAVERY TO CIVIL RIGHTS by Carole Boston Weatherford, illustrated by Tim Ladwig (Eerdmans)
BEFORE COLUMBUS: THE AMERICAS OF 1491 by Charles C. Mann (Atheneum)
BLOOD AND GOO AND BOOGERS TOO! by Steve Alton, Nick Sharratt and Jo Moore (Dial)
THE BOY WHO INVENTED TV: THE STORY OF MILO FARNSWORTH by Kathleen Krull, illustrated by Greg Couch (Knopf)
BUTTON UP! WRINKLED RHYMES by Alice Schertle, illustrated by Petra Mathers (Harcourt)
CARS ON MARS: ROVING THE RED PLANET by Alexandra Siy (Charlesbridge)
CHASING LINCOLN'S KILLER by James L. Swanson (Scholastic)
CHILD OF THE CIVIL RIGHTS MOVEMENT by Paula Young Shelton, illustrated by Raul Colon (Schwartz & Wade)
CITY I LOVE by Lee Bennett Hopkins, illustrated by Marcellus Hall (Abrams)
CLAUDETTE COLVIN: TWICE TOWARD JUSTICE by Philip M. Hoose (Farrar Straus Giroux)
CRAZY LIKE A FOX: A SIMILE STORY by Loreen Leedy (Holiday House)
THE CUCKOO'S HAIKU AND OTHER BIRDING POEMS by Michael J. Rosen, illustrated by Stan Fellows (Candlewick)
CYCLE OF RICE, CYCLE OF LIFE: A STORY OF SUSTAINABLE FARMING by Jan Reynolds (Lee & Low)
THE DAY-GLO BROTHERS by Chris Barton, illustrated by Tony Persiani (Charlesbridge)
DINOSAURS (STEREOBOOK) by Dennis Schatz (Chronicle)
DINOTHESAURUS by Douglas Florian (Atheneum)
DOWN, DOWN, DOWN: A JOURNEY TO THE BOTTOM OF THE SEA by Steve Jenkins (Houghton Mifflin)
THE FABULOUS FEUD OF GILBERT & SULLIVAN by Jonah Winter, illustrated by Richard Egielski (Arthur Levine Books)
FACES OF THE MOON by Bob Crelin, illustrated by Leslie Evans (Charlesbridge)
FALLING DOWN THE PAGE edited by Georgia Heard (Roaring Brook)
THE EAST-WEST HOUSE: NOGUCHI'S CHILDHOOD IN JAPAN by Christy Hale (Lee & Low)
A FOOT IN THE MOUTH: POEMS TO SPEAK, SING AND SHOUT by Paul Janesczko, illustrated by Chris Raschka (Candlewick)
FUNNY BUSINESS: CONVERSATIONS WITH WRITERS OF COMEDY edited by Leonard Marcus (Candlewick)
A GIFT OF DAYS: THE GREATEST WORDS TO LIVE BY by Stephen Alcorn (Atheneum)
THE GREAT AND ONLY BARNUM by Candace Fleming (Schwartz & Wade)
HOME ON THE RANGE: JOHN A. LOMAX AND HIS COWBOY SONGS by Deborah Hopkinson, illustrated by S.D. Schindler (Putnam)
HOW TO BUILD YOUR OWN COUNTRY by Valerie Wyatt, illustrated by Fred Rix (Kids Can Press)
I AND I by Tony Medina, illustrated by Jesse Watson (Lee and Low)
IF AMERICA WERE A VILLAGE by David J. Smith, illustrated by Shelagh Armstrong (Kids Can Press)
INTO THE DEEP: THE LIFE OF NATURALIST AND EXPLORER WILLIAM BEEBE by David Sheldon (Charlesbridge)
JULIE ANDREWS' COLLECTION OF POEMS, SONGS AND LULLABIES selected by Julie Andrews and Emma Walton Hamilton, illustrated by James McMullan (Little, Brown)
JUNIE B'S ESSENTIAL SURVIVAL GUIDE TO SCHOOL by Barbara Park (Random House)
JUST THE RIGHT SIZE: WHY BIG ANIMALS ARE BIG AND LITTLE ANIMALS ARE LITTLE by Nicola Davies, illustrated by Neal Layton (Candlewick)
THE LIFE AND TIMES OF CORN by Charles Micucci (Houghton Mifflin)
LOOK TO THE STARS by Buzz Aldrin, illustrated by Wendell Minor (Putnam)
LOST WORLDS by John Howe (Kingfisher)
THE MERMAID QUEEN by Shana Corey, illustrated by Edwin Fotheringham (Scholastic)
MESSING AROUND ON THE MONKEY BARS AND OTHER SCHOOL POEMS FOR TWO VOICES by Betsy Franco, illustrated by Jessie Hartland (Candlewick)
MISSION CONTROL, THIS IS APOLLO: THE STORY OF THE FIRST VOYAGES TO THE MOON by Andrew Chaikin and Alan Bean (Viking)
MISSION PLANET EARTH: OUR WORLD AND ITS CLIMATE AND HOW HUMANS ARE CHANGING THEM by Sally Ride and Tam O'Shaughnessy (Roaring Brook)
THE MONSTEROLOGIST: A MEMOIR IN RHYME by Bobbi Katz, illustrated by Adam McCauley (Sterling)
MOON: SCIENCE, HISTORY, AND MYSTERY by Stewart Ross (Scholastic)
MOONSHOT: THE FLIGHT OF APOLLO 11 by Brian Floca (Atheneum)
MORE POCKET POEMS by Bobbi Katz, illustrated by Deborah Zemke (Dutton)
MY UNCLE EMILY by Jane Yolen, illustrated by Nancy Carpenter (Philomel)
NASREEN'S SECRET SCHOOL: A TRUE STORY FROM AFGHANISTAN by Jeanette Winter (Beach Lane)
NEVER SMILE AT A MONKEY by Steve Jenkins (Houghton Mifflin)
OLD POSSUM'S BOOK OF PRACTICAL CATS by T.S. Eliot, illustrated by Axel Scheffler (Harcourt)
ONE BEETLE TOO MANY: THE EXTRAORDINARY ADVENTURES OF CHARLES DARWIN by Kathryn Lasky, illustrated by Matthew Trueman (Candlewick)
ONE GIANT LEAP by Robert Burleigh, illustrated by Mike Wimmer (Philomel)
OPEN THE DOOR TO LIBERTY!: A BIOGRAPHY OF TOUSSAINT L'OUVERTURE by Anne Rockwell (Houghton Mifflin)
OUT OF THIS WORLD: THE AMAZING SEARCH FOR AN ALIEN EARTH by Jacob Berkowitz (Kids Can Press)
PAPER FASHIONS (Klutz)
PEACEFUL HEROES by Jonah Winter, illustrated by Sean Addy (Scholastic)
RED SINGS FROM TREETOPS: A YEAR IN COLORS by Joyce Sidman, illustrated by Pamela Zagarenski (Houghton Mifflin)
REDWOODS by Jason Chin (Roaring Brook)
S IS FOR STORY: A WRITER'S ALPHABET by Esther Hershenhorn, illustrated by Zachary Pullen (Sleeping Bear Press)
SACRED MOUNTAIN: EVEREST by Christine Taylor-Butler (Lee & Low)
SHINING STAR: THE ANNA MAY WONG STORY by Paula Yoo, illustrated by Lin Wang (Lee & Low)
SHIPWRECKS: EXPLORING SUNKEN CITIES BENEATH THE SEA by Mary M. Cerullo (Dutton)
STAMPEDE!: POEMS TO CELEBRATE THE WILD SIDE OF SCHOOL by Laura Purdie Salas, illustrated by Steven Salerno (Clarion)
TESTING THE ICE: A TRUE STORY ABOUT JACKIE ROBINSON by Sharon Robinson, illustrated by Kadir Nelson (Scholastic)
THANKS A LOT, EMILY POST! by Jennifer Larue Huget, illustrated by Alexandra Boiger (Schwartz & Wade)
THAT'S LIKE ME!: STORIES ABOUT AMAZING PEOPLE WITH LEARNING DIFFERENCES by Jill Lauren (Star Bright)
TODAY I WILL: A YEAR OF QUOTES, NOTES AND PROMISES TO MYSELF by Eileen and Jerry Spinelli (Knopf)
TRUCE by Jim Murphy (Scholastic)
THE UNDERWEAR SALESMAN AND OTHER JOBS FOR BETTER OR VERSE by J. Patrick Lewis, illustrated by Serge Bloch (Atheneum)
VOYAGES: REMINISCENCES OF YOUNG ABE LINCOLN by Neil Waldman (Calkins Creek)
WARRIORS by Catherenie Brereton [et al] (Kingfisher)
A WHIFF OF PINE, A HINT OF SKUNK: A FOREST OF POEMS by Deborah Ruddell, illustrated by Joan Rankin (McElderberry)
THE WORD SNOOP by Ursula Dubosarsky, illustrated by Tohby Riddle (Dial)
YOU ARE THE FIRST KID ON MARS by Patrick O'Brien (Putnam)
YOU NEVER HEARD OF SANDY KOUFAX?! by Jonah Winter and Andre Carrilho (Schwartz & Wade)
ZERO IS THE LEAVES ON THE TREE by Betsy Franco, illustrated by Shino Arihara (Tricycle Press)

Happy reading!

Picture in header from Matilda by Roald Dahl, illustration by Quentin Blake,
Links are provided for informational use. Don't forget to support your local bookseller.
More Esmé stuff at www.planetesme.com.

After the Love Has Gone: Read-Aloud for the Young and Restless

At the invitation of the fabulous Jen Robinson, I am so proud to be a participant in the Share A Story, Shape a Future initiative, an "annual blog tour for literacy." For five days, "we harness the power of the Worldwide web to share ideas about ways to engage kids as readers." If you haven't been following all along, look forward to treating yourself to a weekend of delving into inspirational posts about the power of print, discovering amazing real world book lists, and connecting with your children's book-loving brethren!

The initiative was great out of the gate thanks to an invitation to share what works and what excites us to share via writing prompts by Terry Doherty, with provocative points for discussion every day that followed. Day two was all about "Literacy My Way" in which creative articles collected by Susan Stephenson of The Book Chook conspired to demonstrate that there's more than one way to skin the proverbial reading "cat." Day Three was hosted by Sarah Mulhern of The Reading Zone, featuring "The Nonfiction Book Hook," showing how books about real things lead to real reading. Day four was hosted by Donalyn Miller, author of one of my favorite recent teacher resources, THE BOOK WHISPERER, celebrating the theme of "Old Favorites and New Classics." And today at Jen Robinson's Book Page, we have "Reading for the Next Generation," and I am glad to be a part of that list today, riffing about that unthinkable time when your child doesn't want you to read aloud any more. Maybe they are busy "tweenagers." Maybe they think read-aloud is for babies. Maybe they want to do it themselves. Maybe there is a divergence of interests. Sniff-sniff! What to do? Here are some strategies to bring even the biggest or busiest kid back to the book.

Communicate honestly. Tell your child in plain English (or Spanish or Japanese or French or Pig-Latin) that you know he is a great reader; this is simply very important to you. Explain that reading out loud is who you are (or want to be) as a parent, that you look forward to it and would miss it if you didn't. Explain that reading out loud is a present you are trying to give and it will change his life in amazing ways, if he could just trust you on that now. Explain that read-aloud is something you do in this family no matter what age anybody is, and you hope he will grow up and do it for his children as well. Your child may allow you to begin reading just to get you to stop talking like this.

Wheedle a little. "Did I not do for you all day? Do now you do this one thing for me." Effectiveness of guilt trips may vary according to cultural tendencies ingrained for generations. Some children have developed an immunity.

Go to bed a little earlier. Sometimes children are just plain tired at the end of the day and konk out as you begin reading, or are simply too cranky to listen. Go to bed about twenty minutes earlier to improve read-aloud mood and attention span.

Go to bed a little later. This is a good bargaining chip for older children. Offer that they might stay up a half hour later if you can spend it reading together. If they are old enough to give you an attitude about it, reasonably suggest you try it for just a week and serialize a novel. They'll be hooked.

Change the schedule. Bedtime seems to be the reading time of choice, but be versatile when your family's needs demand it. If your schedule doesn't allow you to read aloud before bed, try reading aloud during breakfast instead, or before homework (believe me, there's nothing going on in the homework that read-aloud won't help). Just try to be consistent in whatever time you decide on; regular read aloud impacts academic achievement more dramatically, and makes reading part of your lifestyle.

Pick with passion...and the person...in mind. I had a woman complain that I overstated the cause of read-aloud because she tried to share John Knowles A Separate Peace, which she had never read herself, with a seventh grader. It didn't go over too well. Hey, guess what? William F. Buckley isn't watching you read, or double-checking your curriculum. If you have a child who would prefer some quality time with Lyle, Lyle Crocodile to what looks good on a college application essay, how about cutting you both some slack? On the other hand, if the likes of A Separate Peace is your all-time favorite book, that passion will permeate your reading. The bottom line for elementary school children, which is easy to forget in the current climate: don't read for a resume. Read because it's a pleasure.

Turn the TV or computer games off. Match time spent staring at screens with time spent reading aloud. Rule of thumb: use your library card at least as often as you use your Blockbuster card or Netflix membership. If you are contending with real video game addiction issues, use "successive approximations toward the goal," a.k.a. baby steps by letting them earn time; for every half hour of read-aloud, give them a checker from an old board game that they can "spend" on ten minutes of screen time.

Make read-aloud a reward. Extra help with the housework or good grades can mean an extra story or chapter at the end of the day. This demonstrates the value of read-aloud.

Let someone else read-aloud. Have a guest reader, such as a grandparent, the spouse or partner who doesn't usually read aloud, a family friend, an older sibling. Or get a book on tape, but get the book in print as well, and follow along so your child still gets the exposure to print.

Make a list. Sometimes just keeping track of what you're reading inspires children to read more. It's fun to watch the list get longer and longer! You can even jot down titles and dates on the door, by the growth chart.

Go to the library or bookstore more often. New titles can jumpstart interest. So does choice.

Take turns reading aloud. You read a page, your child reads a page. Or, take parts in dialogue. Praise ability generously! This kind of encouragement, especially as children get older, can be hard to come by at school and makes read-aloud extra pleasurable.

Read aloud what you never thought you would. Give in to your child's desires. Let them pick anything, anything they want. So, it's the five-hundred-page Technical Manual of All-Your-Never-Wanted-to-Know About Race Cars/Arachnids/Dragonslaying. So, it's a magazine article from Teen-Beat-Me-Over-the-Head-with-Makeup-Tips or an interminable day in the life of the boy who looks like a vampire. Remember, lots of non-readers find connection to print through non-fiction. Your willingness to share in your children's interests not only improves their self-esteem, it makes you look cool and (almost?) worth talking to. Besides, if your children are interested in it, how bad can it be? (Don't answer that.) If it's more than you can bear, negotiate: One thing you pick, one thing I pick.

Be pragmatic. If your child won't sit for a novel after many attempts or has attention deficit problems, or your work schedule leaves you panting, try a short story instead. Or a poem a day. Or assigned reading from school that would have to get done anyway. Or a play, where you can take parts.

Give in, but read alongside. If you've tried these strategies but read aloud is still a battle, ease up. Fighting is counterproductive. If your child won't come around to join you, you can still model read-aloud with your spouse or partner. You can also compromise by getting book lights and reading silently alongside your child. Remark on notable passages you come across, and ask sporadic questions the the reading inspires (even the reflective ones that have no ready answers) that encourage your child to do the same with you.

I hope you'll share your own strategies in the comments section. It's not always easy to read-aloud every day, but there are good reasons to give it your best try. Not only because over ten thousand pieces of research, compiled and distilled through the Department of Education in its report "Becoming A Nation of Readers" suggest it's the most important thing you can do to ensure academic success, and that it should continue through the grade levels. It has to do with creating an intrinsic value in reading, it has to do with deciding what's worthwhile to do with our time even when forces may pull us all in so many other directions. Most of all, it has to do with saying to a child, "you're worth spending time with, you're worth sharing with," saying I love you with every page turned until the child's heart is filled with the confidence that comes with both knowledge and support. And whether you're a teacher or a parent, isn't that what shaping a future is all about!

Throughout this post you'll find covers from a few more favorite read-alouds , mostly taken from my Reading Resuscitation List: THE TWENTY-ONE BALLOONS by William Pene du Bois; THE WRETCHED STONE by Chris Van Allsburg; THE GRIFFIN AND THE MINOR CANON by Frank Stockton; THE BIG ORANGE SPLOT by Daniel Pinkwater; THE QUILTMAKER'S GIFT by Jeff Bumbeau, illustrated by Gail de Marcken; ZLATEH THE GOAT AND OTHER STORIES by Isaac Bashevis Singer, illustrated by Maurice Sendak; POOP by Nicola Davies, illustrated by Neal Layton; THE BIRCHBARK HOUSE by Louise Erdrich, and the trusty D'AULAIRES BOOK OF GREEK MYTHS. I like books that I can read aloud in a room whether there is an eight year old tucked in, a twelve year old, or both. What books have worked for you? Which have reignited the fire? Which books did your children teach you to love?

And one more thing: the fifteen points in this post are all dedicated to my almost-fifteen-year-old son, in appreciation for letting mom read aloud A TREE GROWS IN BROOKLYN by Betty Smith, and listening while dad shares YOU CAN'T WIN by Jack Black. Thanks, R.

"Share a Story, Shape a Future" button art by Elizabeth Dulmeba.
These strategies were excerpted from "What to Do When Your Child Doesn't Want You To Read-Aloud,"
from HOW TO GET YOUR CHILD TO LOVE READING, Esme Raji Codell, copyright 2003, Algonquin Books.
Links are provided for informational use. Don't forget to support your local bookseller.
More Esmé stuff at www.planetesme.com.