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July 27, 2004
In this issue:
Underground sale
To-Do List
Book of the Week (30% off)
Pinkwater is Back with "Looking for Bobowicz"
The Art of the Picture Book
S is for Sunflower
Upcoming Events
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Greetings from Gaylene! I'm flying solo in this Teacher Feature, so bear
with me. We have some great books and news for the end of summer at
Watermark, so read on...
A new event for you late summer shoppers...the UNDERGROUND SALE in the
Watermark basement July 29 through August 6. Many of our Footnotes
(non-book items) will be drastically reduced, including puzzles, educational
toys, hats, stuffed animals and some overstock books. This is a great time
to shop for gifts for your kids, grandkids, nieces, nephews, friends, or
yourself! The sale will include children's and adult items, and price
reductions will be 50 to 75 percent off! Come in where it's cool and take
advantage of our quality Watermark Footnotes and overstock books at
exceptional prices.
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Do you have a list of "things to do before going back to school?" Here's
one item you might want to add to that list: Read the most recent Harry
Potter in paperback. In order to do that, we want to help by taking
pre-orders for the paperback edition of "Harry Potter and the Order of the
Phoenix," which comes out August 10. Be among the first to have it in hand
for the end of summer reading. To place a pre-order, call 682-1181 or
e-mail Lisa Johnson at
lisa.johnson@watermarkbooks.com.
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Our Teacher Feature Book of the Week is "The Magic Hat" by Mem Fox,
illustrated by Tricia Tusa (published by Harcourt, ISBN 0-15-20102504,
originally $16.00, on sale for $11.20) ages 3-7. We will offer this book at
30 percent off for two weeks, until the next Teacher Feature is sent. Mem
Fox is well known for her acclaimed books, such as "Possum Magic," "Koala
Lou," and "Time for Bed." Her rhymes will please children, and the book is
on the fluency list for USD 259 as a good choice for interactive reading.
"Oh, the magic hat, the magic hat! It moved like this, it moved like that!
It spun through the air and over a road and sat on the head of a warty
old.... (you decide what comes next!). That's the fun of this book--the
rhymes and illustrations allow the child to anticipate what is coming next,
then turn the page and their idea is validated. By the way, if you
completed the above sequence with "Toad", you win!
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Last week I was stopping at the grocery store on the way home and found
myself sitting in the parking lot, unable to turn off the radio while
listening to author Daniel Pinkwater being interviewed on NPR's "Fresh Air."
Maybe some of you heard it too. I was sitting in the car laughing out loud
and grinning, which I'm sure gave the other folks in the parking lot
something to scratch their heads about, but I couldn't help myself! If you
listen to NPR's Weekend Edition, you hear Daniel Pinkwater's reviews of new
children's books, and you are familiar with his sense of humor. The
interview made me choose Pinkwater's most recent book, "Looking for
Bobowicz" to feature in this issue (review below). Since I have a great
fondness for children's picture books, and I am sometimes a bit unnerved
that some people seem to think becoming a celebrity qualifies them as
children's authors, I was impressed to hear Pinkwater, an author for readers
of all ages, say that he finds that writing picture books is the most
difficult and takes the longest. He enjoys writing for kids the most,
because they "suck the ink off the pages." Reading is exciting to kids
because it is new, in Pinkwater's opinion. Check the NPR website for the
entire interview: www.freshair.npr.org (July 13 interview).
"Looking for Bobowicz" by Daniel Pinkwater, illustrated by his wife Jill
Pinkwater (HarperCollins Publishers, ISBN 0-06-0535547, $15.99, ages 9-11)
visits a character named Ivan Itch, who nicknamed himself "Nick." Nick's
parents want their son to have an "urban childhood," so they move from
suburban Happy Valley to Hoboken, NJ. Adventures of many sorts follow,
including reading classic comics in the basement with the neighbor kids,
finding a place to listen to pirate radio, and looking for a kid named
Arthur Bobowicz. Nick and his new friends, Loretta Fischetti and Bruno Ugg,
first read of Bobowicz and his giant chicken, Henrietta, in a stack of old
newspapers in the musty basement where they hang out together reading comics and
drinking Dr. Pedwee's soda. Kids and adults with a sense of humor will enjoy
this book, so grab a Dr. Pedwee's soda (if you can find one--if not, a
Jones soda will do) and discover what Pinkwater has in store for us this time!
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"Ways of Telling: Conversations on the Art of the Picture Book" by Leonard
S. Marcus (Dutton Children's Books, NY, ISBN: 0-52-5465905, $29.99.) Marcus
is one of children's literature's most respected historians and critics, and
has put together a book of interviews with writers and artists who have
stood the test of time in the world of children's books, making lasting
contributions. Included in the list of writers and artists are Mitsumasa
Anno, Ashley Bryan, Eric Carle, Tana Hoban, Karla Kuskin, James Marshall,
Robert McCloskey, Iona Opie, Helen Oxenbury, Jerry Pinkney, Maruice Sendak,
William Steig, Rosemary Wells, and Charlotte Zolotow. As the author states,
"A four year old can live in a house, but it takes an architect to build a
house. It takes more than an 'inner child' to make a picture book that
lasts."
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"S is for Sunflower: A Kansas Alphabet" is sure to please teachers,
students, and parents. Written by Devin and Corey Scillian and illustrated
by Doug Bowles, the book incorporates clever poems and informative text
celebrating the traditions, locations, and famous sons and daughters of
Kansas. With authors from Junction City and an illustrator from Leawood, it
is a beautiful book and a great resource for your classroom. (Sleeping Bear
Press, ISBN 1-5836-061-9, $17.95, ages 7-8) We will keep you posted on an
illustrator event in the fall.
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Upcoming Events: Jane Kurz will be at Watermark on Thursday evening,
September 2, signing her latest book, "The Feverbird's Claw." Don't miss
the opportunity to visit with this prominent children's author and get your
own signed copy of her book. While looking at your calendar, you might want
to also mark Saturday, October 23, when June Rae Wood will be at Watermark
to sign books.
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Well, the pleasant smells of the cafe upstairs are calling me to get some
lunch, so I will sign off, hoping you are enjoying your summer and getting a
chance to put your feet up occasionally and read!
Until next time,
Gaylene
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