Yay! It’s time for me to gush about some books and convince you to buy them for every child you know. This has become a yearly tradition for me. (For five years now!)
I admit – I get excited going through my Goodreads list and rediscovering the books I’ve read that year. I get less excited trying to whittle it down to a reasonably sized list to share with you.
Some books have descriptions listed afterward to identify genres and features. For instance, kids love series – if you can get them to fall in love with the first one, they’ll often binge read the entire series.
And if you somehow don’t find a book on this list, check out the extra lists at the bottom of the post.
I’ve been sharing book reviews informally on social media for a while. I noticed that social media review get more reach than do blog posts. Reading will happen no matter where I share, but if I want to reach readers and shine a light on good books, I need to go where the people are.
After a lot of thought (and some handwringing) I have decided to shift to reviewing books on my social media accounts – primarily Instagram. My account is open, so you can view it without creating an Instagram account, though I do reshare to Twitter and Facebook as well.
Being an author is a funny thing: everyone has heard of your job. (Unlike my husband – a systems architect.)
But people don’t know what it is I actually do. (My husband and I have that one in common.)
Whether you’re a writer hoping to publish a book or a kidlit lover who is curious about the process, this series is the place to find out what really goes into making books for kids.
I’m a writer, not an illustrator. So it may seem odd that I would start off a series on making picture books by talking about illustrations.
Yet, when I tell people about being a children’s book author, the number one thing people ask about is the illustration of my books.
It comes up in a variety of ways:
How did you meet your illustrator?
I want to publish a book – how do I find an illustrator?
I’m an artist – can I illustrate your next book?
How did you know what to put on each page?
But however the conversation starts, it inevitably leads to me dropping this truth bomb on them:
Children’s book authors do not pick our illustrators.
And then comes the flurry of questions:
Wait, then how do you get an illustrator?
How does the illustrator know what images to make?
But…. what if the illustrator gets it wrong?
And why does it work this way?
So let’s tackle these one at a time.
How Do You Get an Illustrator?
Editors and Art Directors are matchmakers. Once they acquire a manuscript (i.e. decide to publish it) they find the right illustrator to match with the text.
Sometimes they will ask the author’s opinion. Usually not.
Yes, this can really stress authors out – especially the first time around.
The illustrator decides what art to put on the page – along with the editor and art director.
Note that the author is not in that list of people.
Authors can give general guidelines. For instance, when I sent my editor the query for I Pray Today, I told her that the manuscript
“follows a child through his day, from waking with a “Good morning, God,” to getting tucked in at bedtime – always with a prayer on his lips:
Good morning, God. The day is new. I say my first small prayer to You.
LordHaveMercy”
The last part is the opening of the manuscript. I never told them what to put on the page with it, yet it turned out perfectly.
Author’s can (very very occasionally) include an art note to explain what illustration needs to go with a piece of text. This is reserved for cases where the text doesn’t make sense without the art. Giving a note helps the editor to understand the text in the same way that a reader would – with both text and art together.
For example, one part of I Pray Today includes the text:
Dad says dinner’s piping hot. I stuff in food, but – oops, forgot.
Why does she say “oops?”
What did she forget?
Once you see the artwork, it makes perfect sense:
She forgot to pray first! In my manuscript, I included an art note to explain this: [ART: Kid starts eating before prayer.]
That’s the only art note in the whole manuscript because that’s the only one that was needed. Even then, I kept it to just what was needed to understand the text. I still left most of the decisions up to the illustrator: Who is at dinner? Are they at home, a restaurant, somewhere else? How will you show that she forgot to pray?
This came up recently. An adult reader contacted me on behalf of his child wanting to know: what are they eating?
Good question! I really had no idea, since I hadn’t made that decision. So I sent it off an email to my editor who said:
Good question! And she emailed the illustrator to find out.
I had fun polling my friends on social media while I waited for the answer. Most people guessed chicken nuggets with either fries or green beans.
Well, we were a little bit right:
the illustrator answers our burning question: Dear Jane, I like this question, it is really cute! Without colours, it is hard to guess… The little girl is eating “haricots verts et pommes noisettes”: french beans (green beans) and hazelnut potatoes (round french fries). Best, Amandine”
All in all, it was a lot of fun finding out the answer. (Also, I really want to try those pommes noisettes.)
What If the Illustrations Are Wrong?
This is the whispered question that everyone is dying to know but nervous to ask.
Aspiring authors especially seem to struggle with this. It’s scary to give up control of something you have worked so hard on.
Ready for another shocker?
It’s not just your book. It certainly feels that way – as an author, you come up with a concept, agonize over every word, and revise until your fingers fall off. But with a picture book or board book, text and illustration work together. They’re a package deal.
And also: It almost always works out wonderfully. I have worked with three different illustrators over seven books and, each time, I was blown away by their work. Every. single. time.
This spread from Goodnight Jesus is a great example. I gave the editor general guidelines for the form of this book, just like I did for I Pray Today. I told them it was a bedtime story focused on giving kisses – a child works their way toward bedtime but giving, and eventually receiving, kisses. But I didn’t specify how that should be shown. In my head, I imagined the child in their family icon corner kissing icons then moving toward bed giving out kisses as they go.
Instead, the illustrator put the child into the icons. I had imagined a static version, but he made it interactive. That makes for a more engaging illustration and book. Plus you can see both the love the child is giving AND the love the child is receiving. That’s a deep theological statement – but boiled down to a child’s level.
The two images together in ways I didn’t consider. Notice how the position of the two babies are mirror images of one another. Even Jesus’ body language mirrors Mary’s – each is cuddling a baby they love. That makes the images work together both on an aesthetic level,and a theological level.
The illustrator didn’t just show my story, he added to it in ways that deepened it. He brought a fresh perspective that allowed him to expand the story in meaningful ways. Which bring us to our next question:
Why Does it Work This Way?
Separating the text decisions from the illustration decisions isn’t a cruel thing done by evil editors. They are giving both artists – author and illustrator – the freedom to do their best work. I am not a visual artist. I don’t have the training or experience to make decisions about artwork.
No, the child in your book probably won’t look exactly like your granddaughter. The illustrations may not match what you envisioned. That doesn’t make it wrong.
If you can go in with an open mind, you’ll be able to appreciate the exceptional artwork that has been carefully crafted to enhance your story.
Secretly, I think that the editor’s and illustrator’s jobs are to make the author look good. The editor wants this book to succeed. The illustrator wants to produce excellent illustrations. All of which makes my book stronger and better than I could make it on my own.
So, no, authors don’t have illustration decisions about their books. But that’s just fine.
Next time I’ll share what the illustration process looks like for illustrators. We’ll pick up after the editor has paired them with a book text and see what it’s like from that side of the equation.
It’s that time of year again: where I try to convince you to buy books for every child you know this holiday season.
This is my fourth year putting together this list (!!!). It’s always a lot of fun to look back at what I read over the year – like revisiting old friends. I hope you will find some new friends on this list.
I’ve added some codes to help identify particular types of books:
NF = Nonfiction
H = Humor
Memoir
S = Series
And if you somehow don’t find a book on this list, check out the extra lists at the bottom of the post.
Lockwood and Company: The Screaming Staircase S (Note: this book is sometimes classed as Young Adult but, besides some creepy ghosts, does not contain mature content that would be inappropriate for tweens.)
I love reviewing connecting people with books almost as much as I love reading them. That’s one reason I review so many books here on my blog. And since I’ve started doing my Kidlit Karma project, I’m doing a lot more reviews.
Just one problem: it’s not that easy to find things here on the old blog.
So if you need, say, a nonfiction book for a tween – sure I’ve got it. …Somewhere… Something had to be done.
Now I’ve created a master page for all my book reviews. Yay!
It’s sorted in two ways:
Ages and stages – this includes age ranges like baby, child, tween, teen, and adult. It also includes stages like early reading.
Topics – Jump here to get a collected list of all STEM, nonfiction, diverse books, and books for writers. Within each topic they’re sorted by age to make things easy.
At the end of 2017, I made a pledge. I challenged myself to review good books every month in 2018, particularly books that haven’t gotten as much love as I feel they deserve. I call it Kidlit Karma because I’m aiming to spread the love for books that I love.
If you follow me on Instagram, you’ll know that I moved into a new house earlier this month. Lucky for me my critique partner and fellow kidlit writer, Katherine Rothstein, has agreed to share her summer kidlit reading list for this month’s review. You can follow her on Twitter at @krothsteinslp2.
Take it away Katherine!
It’s officially summer! Whether you hit the beach, lounge in your hammock, or float around the pool it’s the perfect time to read a good book. I am a speech pathologist, kidlit lover, and mommy of two. My daughter is one eager reader and enjoys reading everything from the back of a shampoo bottle to novels. My son has particularly high standards, and he prefers a read with humor and loads of action. One thing they have in common…they both LOVE funny. Determined to keep them reading all summer, I’ve strategically created a book exchange with their friends, designed enticing book displays throughout the house, and even tucked a book or two under their pillows. Here are a few of our favorites:
PICTURE BOOKS
I am a huge advocate of rhyming books for all ages but especially for children under six years old and emerging readers. Rhyme is an essential phonological awareness skill that is necessary when learning to read. Our brain best learns new words and information by classifying into categories. If a child can read Cat, they should also quickly learn Hat, Bat, Fat, Mat, Rat, and Sat. Plus, rhyming books are fun to read aloud!
MONSTERS NEW UNDIES by Samantha Berger and Tad Carpenter
MONSTER’S NEW UNDIES is adorable! Your tush will fall in love with this sweet little monster on a search for new undies.
Every animal has a place to sit and conveniently, each animal’s seat rhymes with that animal’s name. But Frog does not want to sit on a log. “It’s not about being comfortable,” explains the cat. “It’s about doing the right thing.”
Here are two that are laugh out loud funny. They teach a basic concept of opposites. They also offer fun and colorful illustrations to capture the attention of non-reading listeners.
STEVE AND WESLEY: THE ICE CREAM SHOP by Jennifer E. Morris
These are a hit with my reluctant reader. They have more text than early readers, deeper plots and fun illustrations to support the story. Best of all, they are hilarious!
THE BAD GUYS series by Aaron Blabey
A wolf, a piranha, a snake and a shark make up this Bad Guy team. They plan and execute missions to support their new image of being good. Full of humor to make any kid chuckle.
Narwhal and Jelly are awesome friends with big imaginations. This book has real fun fish facts and a waffle who battles a robot. Yep, all that excitement packed into 65 pages!
Okay, so these two favorites do not check the funny column, but they are sure to make you smile. And, who can resist a heart-warming story of friendship between a dog and their person?
CHESTER AND GUS by Cammie McGovern
Chester wants to be a service dog but fails his certification. A family adopts him in hopes that he will be a companion to their 10-year-old son with autism. Chester is lovable, smart and determined to find a way to connect with Gus and find his fit in this family.
There is a reason this book has received so much attention. The author has a way of making the characters come to life. A brilliant story about forgiveness and friendship.
At the end of 2017, I made a pledge. I challenged myself to review good books every month in 2018, particularly books that haven’t gotten as much love as I feel they deserve. I call it Kidlit Karma because I’m aiming to spread the love for books that I love.
If you follow me on Instagram, you’ll know that I’m deep into packing to move to a new house in a couple of weeks. Lucky for me, my friend and fellow author, Melinda Johnson, has agreed to post this month’s reviews.
Melinda’s most recent book, SHEPHERDING SAM, is a middle grade novel about a boy named Sam and a corgi pup named Saucer. Sam and Saucer will be returning later this year in a sequel novel.
Have you read the Minnie and Moo books by Dennys Cazet? They’re not new, but you can find them easily in your public library or online. The snort-out-loud funny adventures of these two very human cows should be part of everyone’s better childhood memories.
Best enjoyed on a battered sofa with someone nearby who likes to hear the funny bits read aloud, these stories show Cazet to be master of the art of using simple language well. The books are humorous on two levels, making them as much fun for an adult reading them to small children as they are to the early readers who venture into their pages independently.
Minnie and Moo are proud members of the I Can Read Books collection, in which they bear a level 3 “Reading Alone” rating. The type is large, there is space between lines of text, and there are usually 4 – 8 lines of text per page. Around the words are wonderfully silly illustrations of Minnie and Moo, providing color and extra humor, and supporting comprehension of the story.
One of my favorite things about the humor in these books is how well it plays to the readers’ developmental age. Minnie and Moo are much smarter than the average cow, but not so smart as the child reading about them. They get into crazy situations because they are fearless and imaginative, but they misunderstand or ignore commonsense things that young readers will pick up easily. In the many happy hours I’ve spent reading and hearing about these books, I’ve seen over and over again that a child will laugh hard when she “gets it” and the cows don’t. For example, in one of our favorites, Minnie and Moo and the Musk of Zorro, the two cows find what they believe to be Zorro’s secret weapon buried in a trunk in their barn. They begin by getting a word wrong (“Mama, it’s not the musk of Zorro, it’s supposed to be the mask!”), and it goes downhill from there.
“LOOK!”
Minnie took a spray can out of the trunk.
“Oh, Minnie,” said Moo.
“Could it be?” Minnie asked.
Moo looked at the can.
“What does it say?” asked Minnie.
“Hmm,” muttered Moo, “something about armpits.”
Minnie pushed the spray button.
The can hissedand filled the air with a sweet smell.
“The musk of Zorro!” Minnie gasped.
Belly laughs ensue, but there is also an empowering satisfaction in knowing why it’s funny. Children in the early reader stage are still figuring out how humor is made. As every parent knows, the first years of joke-making are often as confusing to the joker as they are to the audience. Children are used to laughing, but also to being uncertain why other people are laughing with or at them. It is easy to understand what Minnie and Moo get wrong, so the child can laugh hard and confidently. And from an adult perspective, Dennys Cazet’s ability to pull off that humor in ways that are constantly fresh and imaginative but never exceed the necessary reading level is impressive. I also appreciated his ability to be funny at a child’s level without descending into potty humor or inviting readers to laugh unkindly at the character’s expense.
There are 16 Minnie and Moo books, by my best count, and I have not yet read all of them. To give you a taste of their delightfulness, here are three that are favorites in our house.
Minnie and Moo and the Musk of Zorro
Plot: Inspired by the legendary hero, the best bovine friends reinvent themselves as Juanita del Zorro del Moo and Dolores del Zorro del Minnie. Armed with a lipstick sword and a can of something they’ve never seen before, they defend the barnyard with more enthusiasm than success.
Favorite quote: “Moo, listen to me—” “Listen to the world,” said Moo. “It cries out for heroes!” Moo turned and ran toward the barn. “Follow me, Dolores,” she called. Minnie sighed. She threw up her arms. “Juanita!” she shouted. “Wait for me!”
Plot: Spud, an alien who looks like his name suggests he would, crashes his space ship in the field next to Minnie and Moo. Minnie and Moo help him repair and refuel, and the farmer’s tractor will never be the same again.
Favorite quote: “My name is Spud. I am from the planet X. I make deliveries for Universal Package Service. As your double eyeballs can see, my UPS space truck has crashed. I must have another ship and five gallons of space fuel. You must help me. We must go fast.”
Plot: Minnie and Moo think their farmer has money trouble. They set out to help him, but they don’t know much about money, and they know even less about banks. It doesn’t help that they look exactly like a pair of notorious bank robbers.
Favorite quote: “Look at those posters,” said Minnie. “Those people are WANTED.” “Of course,” said Moo. “They are favorite bank shoppers. Remember when the market named Mrs. Wilkerson Shopper of the Year? They put her picture up.” “But Moo,” said Minnie. “Look at that poster. The Bazooka Sisters don’t look like Shoppers of the Year…”
It’s that time again! Time for me to gush about some of the books I read this year in the hopes you will buy some.
Lucky for you, that makes gift giving easy. Books make great gifts for kids and with so many new and classic books, you can find something for every kid.
You can also check out the lists for 2015 and 2016.
BOOKS FOR BABIES AND EXPECTANT PARENTS
No one is too young for a book! Nothing says love more than cuddling up in the lap of a grownup and listening to a story. And since reading to children is the number one best thing you can do to promote school success, you’re also making an investment in their future success. These books have stiff, durable pages perfect for the littlest readers.
These picture books are perfect for kids that are ready to graduate from board books. They have shorter texts (to match short attention spans) but big humor. These are a great fit for preschool through lower elementary.
READ ALOUD CHAPTER BOOKS FOR PRESCHOOL AND KINDERGARTEN
Kids can begin listening to chapter books as young as preschool or kindergarten. These books have short chapters and pictures can help ease the transition. They’re also free of mature or scary content.
These books are great for kids that are still learning to read. These are arranged from easiest to hardest. Choose the one that seems just right or a little ahead of where your reader is currently.
Is That Wise Pig? and Jan Thomas’s other books are always a big hit with my kids.
Comics and graphic novels have been the gateway to reading for many kids. Apparently, I didn’t read many graphic novels this year, but what I lack in numbers I make up for with quality. I love all the books in this series (and stalk Drew Brockington’s twitter to find out when there will be more).
The one category where I read significantly more than in any previous year: middle grade. Middle grade is the term for upper elementary to middle school readers. I tried to thin down this list. I really did. But…. I can’t. #sorrynotsorry To help you sort through, I’ve added the genre of each but these should be taken with a (large) grain of salt.
There is only one book on this list, but it was the most powerful book I read all year. If you’re only going to read one YA novel all year, let it be this one.
It’s a great time for people that love nonfiction. There is some terrific nonfiction out there right now. This list was just as hard to thin down as the middle grade novels. After each book, I’ve listed the age category. PB = picture book and can range from preschool to upper elementary. MG = middle elementary to middle school. YA = middle school to teen.
Having a child that loves books is a wonderful thing. But often in the next breath, parents lament “how do I find books for my child?”
Kids in middle to late elementary seem to inhale books. Parents often find that keeping their child supplied with books is an impossible task. How can a parent tell if a book is going to be appropriate? Is it the right reading level? Will there be content that is too mature?
Mature content is especially a problem if your child reads above their grade-level. A child may be capable of reading a book but not have the emotional maturity to handle it. Imagine a sensitive 8-year-old reading the death scenes in the Hunger Games.
So what’s a parent to do?
Most of us can’t quit our day jobs to read children’s novels full-time. (Even if we would like to.)
I’ve gathered together some resources to help you wade through it all.
Help! How do I find books for my child?
First, you can check out lists of book recommendations. I read widely, and every year I made a list of my favorite books from the year. Check out the lists from 2016 and 2015.
Second, I also have a Pinterest board full of book recommendations. Need ideas for a 2nd grader? Or books set in Asia? Or adventure books for girls? Books for reluctant readers? Scroll through, and you’ll probably find something.
Ok, but how can I tell if the reading level is right?
If your child’s reading-level is different from their grade level, then recommendations for their grade may not be a good fit.
The Accelerated Reader website lets you search for books. It tells you the reading level and word count for each book. Not every book is listed, but most often I can find what I need. Let’s look at a recent favorite of mine: The Hate U Give by Angie Thomas.
The ATOS level is the grade level. In this case, this Young Adult book is readable to a student who is in the 9th month of 3rd grade.
Other things to note are the Interest Level and Word Count. The language of this book might be understandable by a 3rd grader, but it is interesting to a much older child – 9th to 12th grade. Plus, I don’t know any 3rd graders that wouldn’t balk at the sheer volume of a 95,000-word book.
Compare this to a book like Wonder by R.J. Palacio:
Here the book is a bit more balanced: The reading level is later in 4th grade, and the interest level is 4th-8th grade. The length is also better for a 4th grader at 73,000 words.
But how do I know what my child’s reading level is?
You have a few options. You could grab a stack of books that your child read recently, and look them up on the Accelerated Reader website. Get an average of the ATOS level, and you’re good to go.
Great. Now how do I tell which books are appropriate for my child?
The Common Sense Media web page rates media designed for children. It will flag any mature content. That means you don’t have to read a whole novel to find out there’s a sex scene in chapter 37. Let’s take a look at our two books:
At the top, there’s a rating of quality (5 stars) and approximate age appropriateness. The age rating takes into account both reading ability and mature content. As we saw before, The Hate U Give has a low readability level, but the high-interest level bumped it up here. Further down, it breaks down mature content by type. You can click on each to get more information. The “What Parents Need to Know” section, gives you an overview.
Reading over this, I could tell that this is a powerful book that would be perfect for a high schooler or mature middle schooler.
Now let’s look at our other book example.
Wonder is a better bet for an elementary school child. The rating of age 11 reflects that there is some minor mature content (bullying and kissing).
Though I read a lot of children’s books, I still have to use these tricks to help my kids. Hopefully, now you feel confident helping your child find books. Do you have any tips or tricks to add?
If you’re not living under a rock, you’ve probably heard about the upcoming solar eclipse. Which I like to call eclipsapocalypse. (If you do live under a rock, I don’t judge.)
I’ve gathered together some resources so the children (and inner children) in your life can have enjoy the eclipsapocalyse in style. In this first post, we’ll look at resources for learning about solar eclipses. Scroll down for videos and book recommendations.
Later posts will cover viewing the eclipse and hands-on eclipse activities.
LEARN ABOUT SOLAR ECLIPSES
A solar eclipse happens when the moon moves between the Sun and the Earth. The moon blocks the sun’s light and casts a shadow on the Earth. If you’re standing on the part of the Earth where the shadow falls, you’ll see the moon move in front of the Sun and block out the light.
It’s a big deal because full solar eclipses are rare. It’s been nearly a 100 years in In a full eclipse the moon lines up exactly with the sun to completely cover it. Around the area of the full eclipse there’s a much bigger area that will see a partial eclipse. The sun and moon don’t line up exactly, but part of the sun’s light will still be blocked.
My favorite space encyclopedia has sections on eclipses, too.
VIDEOS:
This NASA video explains how it works and what it will look like. (Appropriate for young kids to the young at heart.):
If you want to dive deeper into the science of eclipses, this video from Crash Course is great (Appropriate for Adolescents+ (or really nerdy little kids)):
Tune in next time to learn how you can see the 2017 Solar Eclipse.
