March 2005 Archives

Guardian Unlimited | Columnists | The greatest stories ever told

"We are right in the thick of a golden age of children's literature," says Dina Rabinovitch, at the start of a long feature in today's Guardian, arguing that it is now children's literature that is exerting the same gravitational pull that stage drama did in the Elizabethan Age, and the novel did in the nineteenth century.

So how is it, she asks, that it is only a handful of names that are widely known. It's certainly not the publishers' fault. Rabinovich gives examples of some of the more lavish launches of recent times. She rounds on the media... "The books pages in the national press are sticking to their occasional round-ups of children's books; non-specialist TV and radio aren't interested either... ...It is a mark of these fertile times that the arts reviewing is lagging behind the news."

Highly Recommended

Guardian Unlimited Books | By genre | Author of the month: Ann Brashares

Dina Rabinovich's Author of the Month is Ann Brashares...

Girls in Pants: The Third Summer of the Sisterhood

USATODAY.com - 'Potter' print-run record goes 'poof!'

The sixth in J.K. Rowling's blockbuster series, Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince, due in bookstores July 16, will have the all-time-highest initial print run of 10.8 million, according to an announcement Tuesday from the U.S. publisher, Scholastic...

Macmillan Children's Books has announced the acquisition of world rights in four new novels by Gwyneth Rees. The deal, for a six-figure sum, was brokered by Caroline Walsh of David Higham Associates.

The Macmillan Press Release says that Rees qualified as a doctor and practised as a child and adolescent psychiatrist for some years, before giving up her medical career to write full time.

THE MUM HUNT won the Award for Younger Children in the Red House Children's Book Award 2004. MY MUM'S FROM PLANET PLUTO has been longlisted for the Carnegie Medal and shortlisted for the Sheffield Book Award. Her Fairies series achieves ever-increasing sales, with the third title, FAIRY DREAMS, publishing in May 2005. She has also been selected to write a World Book Day 2006 title.

This new four-book deal takes Macmillan's publishing programme of Gwyneth Rees's books up to the end of 2008.

Sarah Davies, Publishing Director of Macmillan Children's Books, says, 'Gwyneth Rees is a star. She has an incredible ability to connect with children in a way that is always entertaining but also very insightful. I am delighted that this new deal will enable us to continue building Gwyneth's profile and sales well into the future.'

HoustonChronicle.com - Zach Braff takes director's chair in DeGraw's Chariot

Zach Braff, writer-director of 'Garden State' (my favourite film of the moment) and star of the NBC series 'Scrubs' (sadly not yet available on DVD in the UK), is to base his next film on a children's book:

Braff, 29, plays Dr. John "JD" Doran on NBC's Scrubs. His next feature film directing gig will be an adaptation of Doris Burn's children's book, Andrew Henry's Meadow.

This is old news to movie buffs (I believe it was first known almost a year ago) but new news to me, and I know hardly anything about the book, so educative comments would be welcome.

The Observer | Review | Teenage fiction: Mar 27

There were roundups of both Teenage Fiction and Picture Books in yesterday's Observer.

The Teenage link is above - here's the link to Kate Kellaway's picture book reviews and to her review of the latest Jacqueline Wilson novel, Clean Break....

Darren Shan Monthly 57

Darren Shan has posted his monthly newspage, Shanville Monthly, a bit early this month, because he's heading off on a short tour of Taiwan before the end of March...

I can heartily recoomend a visit to Shan's Taiwanese publisher's page, for a taste of the distinctive Far Eastern covers and, lowdown on the right-hand side, a mini-movie of a berobed Shan speaking directly to his Eastern fans.

Honolulu Star-Bulletin Features /2005/03/27/

A review of Four Shojo Stories

High Profile State Children’s Literature Awards Ceremony
report by Dominique Sandis

On the evening of the 21st of March the Ceremony for the 2004 State Children’s Literature Prizes was held at the Athens Music Megaron...

Guardian Unlimited | Arts features | Macca the paperback writer

Michael Rosen can't understand the hissy-fitting of children's authors who resent it when celebs and other 'amateurs' have a go at writing children's books. After all, he says, writing a children's book "is not very difficult". This Guardian article was published last Tuesday, and my excuse for missing it was that I was engrossed in rehearsing my "hot chilly" act for the end-of-term staff variety show.

In normal circumstances it would have been blogged immediately. As it is, I'm thankful to Michael Rosen himself for drawing attention to it on ACHUKACHAT where, so far, there has been only one reaction. Perhaps this belated blogging will promote further discussion.

what possible objections can we have to anyone, anywhere, writing a book for children? After all, it's not terribly difficult. I'll rephrase that: it's difficult to write a brilliant one, but anyone who was once a child should have at least one children's book in them. Anyone who comes anywhere near children ought to be able to write at least one more. And in an ideal world, shouldn't every parent, teacher, grandparent, child-carer have a go?

Children's book of the week - Sunday Times - Times Online

Sunday Times Children's Book Of The Week

Traction Man Is Here by Mini Grey

Grey has produced a splendidly tongue-in-cheek picturebook about a little boy’s commando doll... NICOLETTE JONES

In place of its regular page of children's book reviews, The Guardian has chosen Easter weekend to print two excellent features:

The first, by Joanna Carey, is called 'Fish Fingers And Chandeliers' and is a profile of Lauren Child.

The second, by Lyn Gardner, is an admirable overview of E. Nesbit.

The Railway Children is at the Peacock Theatre, London WC2, until April 10. Box office: 0870 737 0337.

Both links Highly Recommended

Scotsman.com News - News Archive - An explosion of words

My latest Teeen/YA recommendations are published in The Scotsman today. They end with a timely mention of Thirteen, the story collection edited by John McClay, whose own contribution is a touching tale about a boy’s embarrassment at revealing his Doctor Who obsession. If there is a seed of autobiography in that story, the author will be looking forward to 7pm this evening, and the return of Doctor Who on BBC TV.
[You have to be registered, but it's free.]

Doctor Who: The Clockwise Man by Justin Richards

TOKYOPOP GmbH Wins "Buchmarkt-Award" for "Newcomer of the Year" at Leipzig Bookfair 2005 :: ActiveAnime.com :: Where Anime News and Reviews Matters

The 6th annual BuchMarkt-Award – the only marketing prize in Germany's book publishing industry – was awarded to TOKYOPOP at this year's Leipzig Book Fair, marking the first time ever a manga publisher has been awarded this prestigious honor.

A statement from the BuchMarkt Award judging committee reads, "Because of TOKYOPOP's eye-catching booth design at the 2004 Frankfurt Bookfair, their strategic advertising efforts with both retailers and customers, a user-friendly website, and the company's clever advertising slogan 'TOKYOPOP is Manga,' the company succeeded in communicating its message through all consumer channels."

Mike's Amazing World of DC Comics-Cover Gallery

Excellent archive of comic cover art from 1935 to the present.

George Adamson - The Herald

Another obituary...

U-Press Telegram - Books

Feature interview with this year's Newbery winner, Cynthia Kadohata, who was awarded the Medal for her novel Kira-Kira:

When Cynthia Kadohata was startled awake by a ringing phone on Jan. 17, the Long Beach resident didn't know what to expect. Phone calls at 4:25 a.m. usually portend bad news, so her initial reaction was one of worry. And the early morning call was indeed life-changing... ...

Recommended

Children's book of the week - Sunday Times - Times Online

Sunday Times Children's Book Of The Week

Nicolette Jones, unlike Amanda Craig [see below], likes Silverfin by Charlie Higson:

What is unexpected about this James Bond prequel is that its hero is so ordinary. Fast Show comedian Higson has also written a surprisingly straight-faced adventure, with few in-jokes... ... NICOLETTE JONES

See also
this article about the book by The Observer's Arts & Media correspondent, who tells us that the book is already doing better than the early sales of Harry Potter or Northern Lights, which sounds good to those who don't know that both HP and Northern Lights (particularly the Pullman) were rather slow burners.

Arizona Daily Sun-

Michael Lacapa, an award-winning author and illustrator of books for children, died at home on Tuesday. He had been seriously injured in a car accident last September.

The Flute Player, one of Lacapa's best-known books

Guardian Unlimited Books | Review | When Amy met Stanley

Adele Geras on Love, Fifteeen, Ros Asqwuith's breezy novel about teenage pregnancy:

Asquith is light where other writers would be heavy, but that doesn't mean she doesn't care. There's real emotion here and a lot about love in all its forms, and some of the scenes that could be presented as tragedy she delivers as farce. The moral of the book is: if you're going to sleep with your boyfriend, be very careful and more than careful, and if you do get pregnant, there are options and it's not the end of the world....

Children's books - Books - Times Online

Amanda Craig finds Charlie Higson's Young Bond outclassed by the latest Alex Rider and is impressed by the 'brilliantly nauseating' Hellbent by Anthony McGowan, in her latest Times children's ficitoin review:

Hellbent isn?t a spy story but a brilliantly nauseating thriller about a cocky 16-year- old boy who dies and goes to Hell...

George Adamson - Obituaries - Times Online

The illustrator George Admason died on March 5th. A Times obituary appeared yesterday:

Ted Hughes?s first collection of poetry for children, Meet My Folks! (1961), was submitted to Adamson for illustration. Sylvia Plath?s verdict on his efforts was that they were ?very fine and witty?. He followed in the path of Heath Robinson, illustrating new editions of Norman Hunter?s Professor Branestawm books in the mid-1960s and also illustrated The Faber Book of Nursery Verse(1958) and Alan Garner?s The Weirdstone of Brisingamen (1960) and The Moon of Gomrath (1963)... ...

A further obituary from The Herald:
http://www.theherald.co.uk/features/35903.html

Science fiction and fantasy author Andre Norton dies

Science fiction and fantasy author Andre Norton, who wrote the popular "Witch World" series, has died. She was 93.

Her death was announced by friend Jean Rabe, who said Norton died Thursday of congestive heart failure at her home in Murfreesboro, a Nashville suburb.

Norton requested before her death that she not have a funeral service, but instead asked to be cremated along with a copy of her first and last novels.

Born Alice Mary Norton on Feb. 17, 1912, in Cleveland, she wrote more than 130 books in many genres during her career of nearly 70 years. She used a pen name _ which she made her legal name in 1934 _ because she expected to be writing mostly for young boys and thought a male name would help sales.

The Science Fiction and Fantasy Writers of America recently created the Andre Norton Award for young adult novels, and the first award will be presented in 2006.

Three Hands of Scorpio, Norton's most recently published novel

Obituaries:
Daily Telegraph

Websites:
Official author site
An interview (1991)
Witch World fan page
Bibliography
Andre Norton Award for YA Fiction

Kiriyama Prize - 2005 Finalists

The $30, 000 Kiriyama prize, established in 1996, is awarded to exceptional English fiction and non-fiction from the Pacific Rim and South Asia, including fiction translated into English from other languages in the region.

Amongst the shortlisted titles is Tara Publishing's Seasons of the Palm, translated from the Tamil. The book focuses on the arduous lives of a group of lovingly drawn child characters with colorful names like "Shortie," "Tallfellow," "Matchbox," and "Stumpleg."

Seasons of the Palm is the first Tamil novel to have earned international recognition. Novelist Perumal Murugan is a college teacher by profession. He teaches Tamil language and literature at a state college in western Tamil Nadu, India. Murugan grew up in a harsh landscape, amidst hardworking peasants. His fiction recreates the everyday brutality of caste society in relentless detail while hinting at the possibilities of joy and comradeship that are yet possible.

Publishing News - News Page

WHILE IT'S BECOMING almost de rigeur for adult authors to think it might be mildly diverting to have a go at a children's book, writes Graham Marks, it is noteworthy when their adult imprint decides to not only retain the right to publish, but backs up the whole project with a serious marketing and sales campaign. On 4 July this year, Headline will publish The Angel Experiment, the first book in the Maximum Ride trilogy by best-selling thriller writer James Patterson, who has come up with a series aimed straight at the 12 market.

AfterElton.com - Interview with Kathe Koja

An interview with YA author Kathe Koja, about her new book Talk:

WCJB - TV20 News - Your Home Team - Gainesville - Lake City - Ocala

A Babette Cole book has been removed from a children's library in America:

A children's book depicting sexual intercourse and the creation of babies through rough drawings of genitals and sexual poses will be moved away from the children's section of the Suwannee River Regional Library, in accordance with a unanimous county commission vote Tuesday night. The book, 'Mommy Laid An Egg', was seized on by parents and others as an unwholesome portrayal of the act of recreation.

CBC Arts: Philip Pullman shares kids' lit prize

British children's author Philip Pullman and Japanese illustrator Ryoji Arai [have been] named winners of the third annual Astrid Lindgren Memorial Award for Literature. The children's literature prize, named after the Swedish creator of the Pippi Longstocking book series, was established by the Swedish government and carries a value of $888,000. The two winners will split the money.

Teen chick-lit: good, bad or just pukerama? - Home - Times Online

The Times has run a diverting 2-day feature on teen-lit, each time getting a parent and child to react to a selection of current titles.

This link is to yesterday's piece about teen chick-lit. In the paper today (I can't find an online link yet) the focus is dark fiction for boys.

Recommended

Racy fluff or reading aid?

some people dispute the value of books that feature female characters dressed in sexy outfits and sometimes behaving in ways that conform to sexist stereotypes.

An interesting column that explores the issues that have arisen surrounding the purchase of manga by public libraries in Maine. The comments are also worht reading.

Highly recommended

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Text of talk given by Philip Pullman at the University of East Anglia:

Thank you for inviting me to speak here in this distinguished series of lectures. Quite what prompted you to ask me to talk about religious education I can`t immediately see; you must have been desperate. As I`m not an academic, nor a member of the clergy, nor a teacher, whatever I say about the subject will be the observations of an amateur with no standing in the field. Furthermore, given that I`ve voiced some criticisms of religion in the past, and that various Christian groups have expressed their criticisms of me, it might be that whatever I said on the subject would be hostile in any case.

Well, I hope it won`t be that. But we shall see.

U.K. Publisher Jumps Aboard Manga Craze

Gollancz is launching a new imprint, Gollancz Manga, through an exclusive deal with San Francisco-based publisher Viz.

The new imprint will publish Viz's Manga series in the U.K. from 11th August. Thirty titles across four series - Dragon Ball, Yu-Gi-Oh!, Case Closed and Fushigi Yug? - will be released over the first 12 months, priced at ?4.99 each.

Opinion Page

A good column is part of the routine, like the caffeinated beverage of your choice or the sequence of landmarks on the way to work. When it is gone, you should miss it sharply...

We will miss Peni sharply and invite those of you who have enjoyed her columns to contribute to a leaving gift. The tin'll stay open till the end of the month.

Guardian Unlimited | The Guardian | Peter Pan prepares to go exploring

At the opening of the London book fair, it was announced that McCaughrean has been chosen as the new JM Barrie. Already one of the country's most popular children's writers, she was picked out of a field of 100 entrants for the "awfully big adventure" of writing the official sequel to Peter Pan.

Telegraph | News | Willis Hall

Daily Telegraph obit. for Willis Hall, playwright and children's author, who died on March 7th.

Other obit.s:
The Times

Symbian OS mobile operating system - News, articles, software wireless developer tools for Symbian Series 60 (Nokia 7650, 3650, N-Gage), UIQ (Sony Ericsson P800) and Symbian device Users and wireless developers

In an exclusive arrangement, TOKYOPOP and GoComics have launched three original properties for wireless use. Princess Ai, @Large and ShutterBox are now available to mobile operators and their subscribers. Manga graphic novels are a Japanese comic phenomena that has quickly become the fastest growing segment of North American book retail sales. "Everything is manga these days," says GoComics CEO Chris Pizey. "Book stores' comic book shelves are dominated by this style of art. It's tremendously exciting to be working with TOKYOPOP to bring the hottest graphic trend in the world to mobile phone users."

Only applicable to US.

The Galveston County Daily News

Another piece charting the rise of manga.

Recommended

Children's book of the week - Sunday Times - Times Online

Sunday Times Children's Book Of The Week

Conrad's Fate by Diana Wynne Jones

This is the first novel for 20 years in Wynne Jones?s Chrestomanci series. Chrestomanci is a nine-lived enchanter who moves between many parallel worlds. In this story, he is a teenager in an eclectic world in which England never separated from Europe and where magical powers are everyday... NICOLETTE JONES

Love Manga

Just added to the ACHOCKABLOGGER listing, this excellent Manga Blog, maintained by David Taylor and Immelda Alty...

The New York Times > Books > Sunday Book Review > Children's Books: Bookshelf

Page of brief NYT reviews.

Mistress of the multiverse - Books - Times Online

A longish feature by Amanda Craig who has been to Bristol to visit Diana Wynne Jones:

The world of one of our most original and fertile fantasists is about to become a lot more famous this year thanks to a film of her novel, Howl?s Moving Castle. The great anime director Hayao Miyazaki, whose Spirited Away became an international hit in 2003, has released the film in Japan, where it is breaking box-office records.

Highly recommended

Guardian Unlimited Books | Review | Review: The Wish House by Celia Rees

Diane Samuels gives Celie Rees a review to smile over, in contrast to the thumbs-down The Wish House received from Amanda Craig last weekend:

The Wish House could have been just another story about the hot summer when a boy got laid and had his heart broken. In Rees's hands, though, it is more sensitive than that, more intriguing, never calculating, almost obvious but not quite and, by the end, genuinely moving.

Publishing News - News Page

BLOOMSBURY HAS ACQUIRED 14 of Alexander McCall Smith's backlist children's books, aimed at the 7-9 age-range, and is to publish them with new cover designs and illustrative look created by Ian Bilbey.