Category Archives: children’s books

May 08, 2012   John   children's books, in memoriam, John, opinion, picture books  
2

Thoughts on Maurice Sendak

As I’m sure you’ve all heard, Maurice Sendak passed away this morning at the age of 83. Certainly, I was saddened by the news, as Where the Wild Things Are and the Nutshell Library were a part of my early childhood like so many others. And like so many other newish parents, I’ve come back to Sendak recently, sharing both books with my sons, as well as adding In the Night Kitchen and Little Bear into the mix. If one mark of success for a picture book artist is a book that speaks across generations, then Sendak’s career was truly unparalleled.

That said, I distinctly recall back when I started in kids’ books that Sendak was looked upon less than favorably by his peers. Partly, I think there was some jealously of his success, but I also think there was a feeling that he turned his back on the children’s book community. In particular, back in the 1990s Sendak spent a lot of time on the college lecture circuit (I saw him give a fantastic talk as an undergrad), which definitely rubbed some people the wrong way, for both of the aforementioned reasons. And, of course, there was his famously prickly demeanor, which didn’t always seem so lovable to those on the inside…

But I also wonder if his lack of picture book production over the last two decades had something to do with it. Most working picture book artists average at least a book a year, if not two, and by going so long between books, I think he may have heightened both the jealously and resentment factors. Certainly, that’s an old story with artists—those who deny the audience what they want run the risk of losing their fans.

Yet whether it was a conscious decision to curry favor, a sense of mortality, or whether it was just where his art took him, his recent spate of activity—the Wild Things movie, Brundibar, Bumble-Ardy, palling around with Stephen Colbert—certainly drew him back into the fold. And so it’s good to see all the tributes to him across the internet, especially from the children’s book community.

But really, the ultimate tribute will come tonight, when literally millions of children will go to sleep to his words—I know my kids will be two of them.

April 24, 2012   John   children's books, classics, John, lists, opinion, parenting, reading  
4

Raising geeks

Back in the stone ages (okay, the 1980s) when I was a kid, “geek” was a pretty harsh name to call someone—maybe not as soul-crushing as “nerd,” but certainly up there with “dweeb” or “spaz.” But thanks to Bill Gates and other titans of the information age, the geek stigma has been turned on its head—today we’re proud to call ourselves computer geeks, book geeks, music geeks, etc.

And now that the geeks (I would include myself, but really, I was always more of a nerd) are of parenting age, they’re raising a new generation of geeks, no doubt with the belief that their spawn will rule the world in 20 years. Hence, we have blogs like Wired’s GeekDad, which posted a list of 67 Books Every Geek Should Read to Their Kids Before Age 10 in an attempt to identify “what books are essential to the Geek experience.”

It’s a great list of books, and certainly just about every title is essential—but essential for geekiness? True, there might be a few more fantasy and sci-fi titles than you might see on a regular “best books for kids” list, and the lack of any sports titles does seem to favor geekdom. But Curious George? Frog and Toad? Charlotte’s Web? In the Night Kitchen?

I have to say, I’m a little hard pressed to see how these classics would help geek parents create a specifically geeky kid–as opposed to a generally intelligent well-rounded member of society. Maybe I’m being overly sensitive here (admittedly, a geeky move on my part), but it does bother me when the great books for kids are used to promote an outside agenda—would these parents approve if their kids asked for Matt Christopher’s or Dan Gutman’s classic sports stories?

Far be it for me to defend the jocks, but maybe a better title for the list would be “67 Books Every PARENT Should Read to Their Kids Before Age 10”, and let the kids figure out on their own whether The Lord of the Rings leads down the road to geekdom or not. After all, isn’t self-discovery the point of reading in the first place?

March 07, 2012   Brenna   Brenna, children's books, fun, future of publishing, literacy, reading  
10

World Read Aloud Day

I really lucked out this week because today is World Read Aloud Day and the main event is happening at Books of Wonder just a hop, skip, and a jump away from the office! World Read Aloud Day, sponsored by LitWorld, is a celebration of the power of words, in an effort to show that the right to read and write belongs to everyone. Books of Wonder will be hosting the nine hour event, chock full of children’s and YA workshops, author signings/Q&A, and read aloud sessions. Ralph Lee will even be there to host “Bookworm Puppet-Making”!

Most of us have had the opportunity to learn in a great education system, and we usually take that for granted. In our younger days, and regretfully still in the present on occasion, we considered reading a chore. This is understandable, as homework and deadlines have been ingrained in us since day one, while television was a privilege you could never get enough of. But, what makes reading really great is the same thing that makes television so mind numbing. We use our imaginations to fill in the blanks. We identify more with the characters because it’s easier to picture yourself as the protagonist, instead of seeing the most attractive actor fill that role. What would cost you an arm and a leg in a college class, you can learn in a book for under $50.

Do you remember the first book you LOVED or if you can’t recall specifics, the first thing you learned about that you LOVED to read about? Today is the perfect time to pay it forward by donating that book! You can choose to do so locally at a homeless shelter, library, school, or hospital OR you can donate to one of the larger organizations, like BetterWorldBooks or LitWorld.

We all know somebody that doesn’t enjoy reading as much as we do: a sibling, a child, a spouse. Whatever the reason may be, even if it’s something as difficult to overcome as a learning disability, find that person a book today. Or an audio book. Something you know they will love to see or hear. It’s likely they have given up on reading by now, but that’s where you come in, you intelligent book enthusiast, you.

March 02, 2012   Rachel   children's books, classics, memory, Rachel S.  
6

Today was good. Today was fun. Tomorrow is another one.

One of the most widely read children’s authors in the world, Dr. Seuss, would have celebrated his 108th birthday today. A cultural icon, one would be hard-pressed to find a child or adult who had never flipped through, read or recited, say, Green Eggs and Ham or the Cat in the Hat. I have no idea what my younger brother’s first word was, as it has always been attributed as “Ish,” one of the appropriately named characters of One Fish, Two Fish, Red Fish, Blue Fish.*

Theodore Geisel, AKA Dr. Seuss, revolutionized children’s literature. No longer were the stories, if you could even call them stories, of the plain and simple “Dick and Jane” variety. Children could now, and were encouraged to, use their imagination, make up silly words and rhyme to their heart’s content. Values and life lessons were still imparted, but now in a way that made children want to learn about them—reading could be fun and playful.

Browsing the various tributes to the good doctor today, I came across this fun assortment of Dr. Seuss trivia put together by Time magazine. Who knew that “Seuss” is meant to rhyme with “voice”! Trying it out, it sounds more like I’m impersonating Sylvester the Cat.

What are some of your favorite Dr. Seuss-related memories? I’m sure you have them

*My first word was “pretty,” thank you for asking.

January 03, 2012   John   children's books, fiction, John, lists, nonfiction, opinion, what we're looking for, YA  
3

A new year, a new wish list

Happy 2012, everyone! I trust you all enjoyed the holidays and had memorable New Years Eves—and if you can’t remember them, so much the better…

Well, now it’s back to work. As promised in my last blog post, here’s my wish list for 2012. Dedicated readers of the DGLM blog might recall I posted similar lists at the end of 2010, but now with a full year of agenting under my belt I’ve tweaked the list a bit to reflect the areas I’ve found myself focusing on, as well as the areas where I’ve had the most success:

ADULT NARRATIVE NON-FICTION: This is definitely the most exciting category to me right now. If there’s an amazing book-length true story out there, I want to hear it. History, memoir, sports, music, immersion journalism, popular science, health, animals—whatever the subject, if you’ve got the credentials to write about it, send it my way.

ADULT MEN’S FICTION: I’m certainly still in the market for good, original thrillers and mysteries. However, after falling in love with THE ART OF FIELDING and enviously witnessing its success, I’d love to expand a bit into more literary territory. I’d love to find a Tom Perrotta, a Nick Hornby, a Chuck Palaniuk, a Don Winslow—in other words, a great storyteller with writing chops. And if it’s genuinely funny, so much the better.

MIDDLE-GRADE FICTION: I’m still looking for that great middle-grade adventure to take the place of Harry Potter and Percy Jackson—who’s going to step up in 2012 and deliver?

REALISTIC YOUNG ADULT FICTION: Looking at the YA clients I’ve signed this year, I’m realizing that while I certainly enjoy a well-done YA fantasy, more often I’ve been drawn to realistic teen fiction. Now, that doesn’t mean they can’t be high-concept or have a fantasy/sci-fi element—think Pete Hautman, Libba Bray, David Klass, M.T. Anderson—and historical fiction is certainly viable if the era hasn’t already been done to death. Basically, what I’m really looking for are those teen characters, perspectives, and issues that feel true to an actual teen’s experience, as opposed to the more escapist words of paranormal/dystopian fiction.

PICTURE BOOKS: Nothing really has changed here: I’m still pretty much only interested in professional illustrators who can write. It’s about time someone created the next great children’s book character or a high-concept project like Bob Staake’s LOOK! A BOOK! One new thought: if anyone’s got a good nonfiction project, I’d love to see it, too.

Being that it’s the first day back in the office, preceded by two nights of staying up late to watch the Giants and Rangers (bless you, DVR!), I’m still a little foggy and probably forgetting some key areas. But hopefully that’s enough to open up the floodgates, and I’ll probably revisit as the year goes on. After all, to me that’s one of the most enjoyable things about agenting—as the market shifts, so can your areas of interest.

Best wishes for 2012, and let’s see what you’ve got!

November 02, 2011   Stacey   biography, children's books, in memoriam, inspiration, opinion, Oprah, Stacey  
3

Biographies to inspire kids

We’ve all been talking a lot about Steve Jobs and the impact he had on our world, so it’s no surprise that PW announced recently that Feiwel and Friends is doing a quickie bio of him for kids.

I think it’s important for kids of all ages to be exposed to greatness and to learn about influential people outside of their own often sheltered lives who forged their own path to success. He’s the kind of person I’d like my kids to emulate (well, maybe not the dropping out of college part).

It got me wondering about other leaders of industry or culture I’d like to see profiled in book form for kids. Adults seem to have their bases pretty well covered. Some days it seems that anyone who has ever appeared on television has a book deal, but I don’t think the same is necessarily true for the children’s market.

Is there anyone you’d like to see written about in this way for children? There are a few who come to mind for me. Oprah Winfrey has already been done, for several ages. And I love the cover illustration on this Hillary Rodham Clinton book for kids. Dorothy Rodham, Hillary’s mom, just died at 92 so perhaps there is a book in that. Michael J. Fox continues to inspire in his fight against Parkinson’s. Lucille Ball, followed by Gilda Radner, showed that women can be smart, and funny, even when faced with adversity. And J.K. Rowling proved that with the right combination of talent, persistence, and imagination, anything is possible. I’d like to teach my kids about all of these amazing people who helped to change the world for the better.

I know there are countless others. Let us know your ideas and maybe we can find a way to make it happen!



October 26, 2011   Stacey   children's books, fun, great books, holidays, Stacey  
6

Halloween reading treats for kids

In my house right now, let’s just say there is a lot of prepping and planning going on for Halloween. Samantha, my first grader, has brought home Halloween-themed library books the last 3 weeks. They must have a section dedicated to the holiday! I’ll take it, as will our dentist. Reading books about Halloween is definitely preferable to eating all the candy associated with it, although we’re working through our fair share of that too.

So in anticipation of the big day, I thought I’d share this piece from The Seattle Times about some new books for this scary and fun time of year. It’s amazing that these are all new titles; they just keep coming. It seems this time of year brings a lot more than just tricks and treats (can’t help the puns, it’s that kind of thing). Last year, we really enjoyed Scaredy-Cat Splat! by Rob Scotton, who visited the school and signed a copy for my daughter.

I’d love to know which are your favorite spooky, scary, or funny Halloween books for kids, ones that you loved growing up or newer ones that you enjoy reading to your kids now. Because I suspect that Halloween in our house is going to continue long past October 31st, and that next year we’ll start getting ready even sooner, like right around Labor Day.

October 26, 2011   Stephanie   authors, children's books, classics, favorites, fun, Stephanie  
2

Everything old is new again

I’ve always been a firm believer in the notion that the past is something to hold on to, interpret, and learn from. Which is why I really loved reading this piece from NPR written by Norton Juster, author of the 1961 classic, The Phantom Tollbooth.  Fifty years after its debut release, Juster looks back at the road that led him to create what was and continues to be one of the leading classics for young readers. I myself can remember reading it as a child.

What really resonated with me in this piece was Juster’s own experiences with reluctant publishers, who felt that Phantom’s vocabulary and themes were too lofty and would be lost on young readers. His response?

There is no such thing as a difficult word. There are only words you don’t know yet…Children are still the same as they’ve always been. They still get bored and confused, and still struggle to figure out the important questions of life.

In thinking this through, there’s no doubt that Juster’s words withstand the passage of time. With the publishing world changing as much as it has been lately, it’s always comforting to see that there are still ideals that hold true today.

October 25, 2011   John   Amazon, children's books, John, opinion, picture books, publishers  
9

Picture book blues

Sorry to be a bit of a downer, folks, but two news stories today gave me a touch of the picture book blues. First, there was word that the Mr. Men and Little Misses books are heading off to new corporate masters. Not that I have anything against these books (don’t want to be called out as Mr. Grumpy here!), but considering how the hardcover picture book market has been eviscerated by mass market over the years, it’s a little depressing to see so much value placed on these characters when hardcovers are dying on the vine. Feels like it’s been a while since a hardcover character got a similar courtship from the major media conglomerates—even Fancy Nancy ain’t that fancy.

And then there’s the whole Amazon kerfuffle on the Room for Debate page of the Times. Certainly, the level of anger and vitriol against our industry is enough to discourage anyone associated with books, but it’s extremely depressing for a picture book enthusiast to read the comments bashing traditional publishers. Because picture books are one of the few formats where a traditional publisher provides an indisputably vital function–can you imagine Amazon attempting to shape, edit, design, and package a picture book, not to mention pairing a writer with an artist in the first place? If the Big Six really go the way of the dodo, it’s going to be a very bleak day for the art of the picture book.

Now, I know these blues will pass, because the death of Big Six publishing has (per usual) been overstated of late. Plus, the picture book market, while not what it used to be, is still out there. In fact, one of the first projects I sold here at DGLM was a picture book, so I’m still very actively looking for author/illustrators. And the Society of Illustrators is gearing up for its annual picture book art show, which is always a great reminder of the incredible talent working in picture books today—well worth a visit if you’re in NYC this fall.

Still, if anyone’s got any uplifting picture book thoughts or news, I’d love to hear them. And full disclosure, I’m also getting pretty sick of reading the same books over and over to my toddlers–so new picture book recommendations would be very much welcomed. I’m sure they’d buoy my spirits!

October 07, 2011   Lauren   children's books, fun, Lauren, opinion  
16

“I refuse to lie to children.”

Lovable curmudgeon Maurice Sendak, interviewed by the Guardian on the occasion of the publication of his new book, is the sort of man who says what he’s thinking.  The interview is, more or less, a list of the things that happen to piss him off.  It’s charming in the way angry people speaking their mind tends to be, so long as you aren’t personally on the wrong side of it.  But it seems to me it goes hand-in-hand with his explanation of the darkness of his latest book: “I refuse to lie to children.  I refuse to cater to the bullshit of innocence.”  Sendak, it appears, is honest in all aspects of his life.

It seems to me there’s probably no better medium for honesty than picture books.  I hesitate to judge whether one should refuse to ever lie to children—specifically one’s own children—because I don’t have them myself and am not sure what I’d do in a tough spot.  However, children’s books do often seem to try to speak to some larger truths, and there seems little point in trying to do that if you’re just going to obfuscate.  I’m not sure that it’s really that terrible to present the world to them as a happy place where hippos go to parties and put lampshades on their heads when you’re just trying to teach them how to count.  (Though, spoiler alert, even that book ends with one super sad hippo whose friends have abandoned him.)  The children’s books I can think of that don’t deal in anything particularly dark or bleak seem to me to form just one piece of the picture for kids.  I guess as long as we make sure children have lots of books, they’ll get to learn about their world from all sides.

What do you think?  Anyone out there writing for children who is contemplating these issues?  Or parents, do you consider the worldview of the story before you buy your child a picture book?

« Older posts
Newer posts »