48. Our first author grew up in Britain, where she began writing imaginative books that incorporate many autobiographical details. She moved to the United States when she married her first husband, a professor at MIT. She continued to write newspaper articles, screenplays, and books for adults as well as award-winning books for children. The last book in her series, The Grey King, was a Newbery Medal winner. She also sometimes wrote with an famous actor who would eventually become her second husband.
49. Now here’s some real trivia. This famous author from the 1800’s was actually a mathematician by training. He used a pseudonym for his children’s books. His real name was Charles Dodgson. Do you know what his pseudonym was?
46. Our first author comes to the writing world as an executive editor at a major publishing house, who has still found time to write over 20 children’s books. One of her books won a Coretta Scott King Honor Award in 2001. She often works with her husband, who just happens to be a Caldecott-Award winning illustrator. Did I mention she also has two children and runs marathons?
Do you know who this amazing woman is?
Yes, the author who is both an executive editor (at Scholastic) and a published author is Andrea Davis Pickney.
It turns out her husband, Brian Pinkney, won the 2011 Coretta Scott King Illustrator Award this week for Dave the Potter: Artist, Poet, Slave (written by Laban Carrick Hill.) Congratulations!
47. Our second author today is also had many talents. He was a musician, playwright, and also children’s author. One of his books defied categorization, but that didn’t stop an insightful editor from publishing it. Another was the first children’s book to be listed on the New York Times Bestseller List. Johnny Cash made one of the songs he wrote famous (A Boy Named Sue.) Our family’s favorite of his books is a book of spoonerisms that was published after his death. Can you identify this gifted author?
For this question, I really should have asked, “Can you identify this gifted man?” Shel Silverstein was successful in many areas, not only as a children’s author.
Shel Silverstein is best known in the children’s literature world for his witty poems accompanied by deceptively simple line drawings.
The book that defied categorization and was rejected by many editors was the incredibly popular The Giving Tree.
His book of poetry, Light in the Attic, was the first children’s book to be listed on the New York Times Bestseller List.
Runny Babbit is the book of spoonerisms that was published after his death.
Shel Silverstein’s books are still widely available.
American Library Association announced the various youth media award winners yesterday. Go on over to their website and read all about it.
Of course, we were interested in the Robert F. Sibert Medal for most distinguished informational book for children. The 2011 winner is Kakapo Rescue: Saving the World’s Strangest Parrot, written by Sy Montgomery, which was reviewed just last week here at Wrapped In Foil. Cool!
Spilling Ink: A Young Writer’s Handbook by Anne Mazer and Ellen Potter is yet another wonderful book on the MG/YA Nonfiction shortlist for Cybils. Many adults are going to say they wish they had a copy of when they were young. It is fun, insightful and full of creative tips to get words on a page and then transform them into something special. The best part is that it is filled with laugh-out-loud humor and touching personal anecdotes. Who won’t respond to an author who thanks her son for diapering the dog?
Ironically, although this is a nonfiction book, it covers how to write fiction. The authors do a fabulous job of explaining the ins and outs of creating characters, plots, settings, and the process of writing. Anne writes that there are many ways to start writing a story. You can even make model out of jello, if that works for you. Wouldn’t it be great if every English/Language Arts teacher in the country picked up a copy of this book, backed off from the emphasis on plotting stories using graphic organizers and gave children big blobs of jello to work with instead?
With a young woman on the cover, and two women authors, is this a book for boys who want to write, too? The authors state right up front that it was their goal to appeal to boys as well as girls, and to their credit they’ve succeeded pretty well. Most people who want to become a serious writer, or even simply a better writer, will find some useful messages in Spilling Ink.
Reading level: Young Adult
Hardcover: 288 pages
Publisher: Flash Point (March 30, 2010)
ISBN-10: 1596435143
ISBN-13: 978-1596435148
Anne Mazer and Ellen Potter have written some fantastic books. A personal family favorite is The Salamander Room by Anne Mazer. Check Anne’s website and Ellen’s website for more information about the authors and their books, or see the lists below.
Nonfiction Monday is a blogging celebration of nonfiction books for kids. We invite you to join us. For more information and a schedule, stop by the new Nonfiction Monday blog to see who is hosting each week. This week’s post is at Tales from the Rushmore Kid.
