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Watermark Teacher Feature – September 26, 2007
In this issue:
BOOK NEWS
Teacher Appreciation Day recap
Fresh Titles: Cuddly animals and brainy loners!
UPCOMING EVENTS
Jon Scieszka author event: Thursday, Sept. 27.
Nancy Horan reading and signing: Thursday, Sept. 27
Richard Uhlig book talk & signing: Saturday, Sept. 29.
Kansas Books Festival: Friday & Saturday, Oct. 5 and 6.
Edward Bloor reading & book signing: Saturday, Oct. 13.
Jan Brett book signing: Sunday, Oct. 21.
FEATURED BOOK REVIEW
* “The Three Snow Bears” by Jan Brett
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This and previous issues of Teacher Feature are available on the Watermark Web
site at:
www.watermarkbooks.com/teach. Follow the link and read on-line, complete
with pictures and clickable links.
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Greetings and salutations,
Many thanks to everyone who joined us for our annual Watermark Teacher
Appreciation Day on September 15—and congratulations to the winners of our
book-bundle door prizes!
Special thanks go out to Beverly Olson Buller, who signed copies of her new book
“From Emporia: The Story of William Allen White.” We still have signed
hardcovers and paperbacks on hand; let us know if you would like us to fix you
up with one. You can read a review of her book here:
http://www.watermarkbooks.com/review0907-007.html
Big grateful thank-yous, also, to local authors Debra Seely and Dian Curtis
Regan, who offered a session on hosting successful author events. If you would
like to invite Deb or Dian to your school or library, you can find them on the
Web at www.debraseely.com and
www.diancurtisregan.com. And if you
would like a copy of Dian’s hints for a great author visit, follow this link to
a page on her site (then scroll down past the cats!):http://www.diancurtisregan.com/content/blogcategory/23/15/
As always, I seized the opportunity to talk about quality comics and graphic
novels for young readers. If you would like a copy of my hand-out of suggested
titles, or if I can ever draw up a list of custom suggestions for you, just drop
me an e-mail.
But enough chatter—it’s on to the books! This issue seems thematically split
between picture books with cuddly animals in them and youth novels with awesome
titles and appealingly brainy lead characters who tend towards being loners.
Just maybe, the two are a perfect fit: even precocious loners need a hug now and
again! (Hmm… that could make a title, couldn’t it?)
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FRESH TITLES
Picture books for preschool to 8—with cuddly, knuffly animals!
“Knuffle Bunny Too: A Case of Mistaken Identity” by Mo Willems (Hyperion,
9781423102991, $16.99) Knuffle Bunny returns in a brand-new picture book! Young
Trixie has grown up a bit, and she’s become quite the talker. She’s VERY EXCITED
to take her one-of-a-kind Knuffle Bunny stuffed rabbit toy to school, but that’s
just the FIRST round of the excitement contained in this photo-tastic, cartoon-alicious
picture book. Read a review:
http://www.watermarkbooks.com/review0907-012.html
“Bear Feels Sick” by Karma Wilson & Jane Chapman (Margaret K. McElderry,
9780689859854, $16.99) Karma Wilson’s “Bear” books are always a treat, and this
new book is a perfect read-aloud for fall: when Bear wakes up feeling woozy,
sore, and sniffly, all his animal friends pitch in to help make him better. Once
Bear’s up to snuff, they’re not feeling so hot, and Bear then returns all their
favors. Young kids will love the animal illustrations and relish the litany of
symptoms and cures. Read a review:
http://www.watermarkbooks.com/review0907-013.html
Middle-grades fiction: 9 to 12 (and older)
“Emma Jean Lazarus Fell Out of a Tree” by Lauren Tarshis (Penguin: Dial,
9780803731646, $16.99) This slyly funny story tells how a well-intended
seventh-grade problem-solver gets tripped up by the unintended consequences of
her selfless acts. The book’s humor and unusual protagonist owe much to Jane
Austen’s comic novel “Emma,” but Tarshis scales the story perfectly for a
middle-school setting and makes Emma-Jean a unique character with a great
vocabulary. Read a review:
http://www.watermarkbooks.com/review0907-014.html
“The Mysterious Edge of the Heroic World” by E. L. Konigsburg (Simon &
Schuster/Ginee Seo Books, 9781416949725, $16.99) As two precocious sixth-grade
boys clear out an eccentric neighbor’s house, they uncover an art-related
mystery dating back to World War II-era Holland. This smart, expansive novel
unfolds a suspenseful story while exploring ideas of family history, personal
ambition, and the politics of art. It’s a treasure. Read a review:
http://www.watermarkbooks.com/review0907-015.html
Young adult fiction: 13 and up
“Someday This Pain Will Be Useful to You” by Peter Cameron (Farrar,
Straus and Giroux, 9780374309893, $16.00) James Sveck is a Holden Caulfield for
the Twenty-First Century: he’s a brainy New York teenager who adores his
grandmother and dreads spending four years in college with shallow kids his own
age. As his story unfolds, we find that James is truly teetering on the edge of
depression, and his reflections on adolescent life are by turns bitingly funny,
deeply sad, and stunningly wise. Cameron’s novel is uncommonly good. Read a
review:
http://www.watermarkbooks.com/review0907-016.html
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UPCOMING WATERMARK EVENTS
Jon Scieszka children’s author event. Thursday, September 27.
THIS EVENT IS NOW FILLED TO CAPACITY: Thank you for all your interest and
excitement! Children’s author Jon Scieszka, creator of the “The Stinky Cheese
Man,” will appear in Wichita at a Watermark event promoting his wacky new
picture book “Cowboy & Octopus,” illustrated by Lane Smith. The event will be
held at Grace Presbyterian Church, 5002 E. Douglas, at 1:00 p.m. Read a review
of “Cowboy & Octopus” here:
http://www.watermarkbooks.com/review0907-006.html
Nancy Horan. Thursday, September 27. 7:00 p.m.
Nancy Horan will be at Watermark to speak and to sign her new book “Loving
Frank,” a compelling debut novel about the relationship between architect Frank
Lloyd Wright and Mamah Cheney. Frank and Mamah began a clandestine affair that
eventually led them to leave their families behind and flee to Europe, a move
that devastated their loved ones, stunned Chicago society, and made headlines
across the country. When the couple returned to America, Wright built the first
Taliesin for Mamah. The end of their affair was as shocking as it was tragic,
but is largely unknown to readers today. Based on seven years of meticulous
research, “Loving Frank” brings to life both Frank Lloyd Wright and Mamah
Cheney, particularly the conflicts and sacrifices Mamah made as she grappled
with her role as mother, wife, lover, and intellectual.
Richard Uhlig book talk & signing. Saturday, September 29. 3:00 p.m.
Richard Uhlig will be at Watermark with his new book, “The Last Dance at the
Frosty Queen.” It’s a novel for teens set in a small Kansas town. Mr. Uhlig is a
Kansas native with family ties to Wichita, and it’s a pleasure to have him visit
Watermark! We’ve heard from some high-school teachers who are bringing their
classes to the reading and of others who are offering extra credit to students
who attend. Let us know if ever we can help involve your students in Watermark
events!
Kansas Books Festival. Koch Arena. Friday & Saturday, October 5 and 6.
Honorary Chair Governor Kathleen Sebelius, and State Librarian Christie Brandau
have announced that the second Kansas Book Festival will celebrate the state's
rich literary, artistic, and historical heritage October 5-6 at Koch Arena on
the campus of Wichita State University. The 2007 Festival will build on the
success of the inaugural Festival last September, which featured more than 30
authors and attracted 7,500 visitors. Festival hours are 9 a.m. to 3 p.m.
Friday, October 5, and 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. Saturday, October 6. Check it out at:
www.kansasbookfestival.ks.gov
Edward Bloor Reading & Book Signing: Saturday, October 13. 2:00 p.m.
Edward Bloor will be at Watermark to read from and sign copies of his latest
book, “Taken.” Bloor is the author of several acclaimed youth novels including
the Southern Gothic soccer story “Tangerine” and last year’s favorite “London
Calling,” which blends a contemporary school story with the history of the
London Blitz. “Taken” is a futuristic young-adult novel about the burgeoning
kidnapping industry of 2035. It’s set for release on October 9 and sounds very,
very cool. Learn more from Bloor's Web site: www.edwardbloor.net
Jan Brett Book Signing: Sunday, October 21. 5:00 - 7:00 p.m.
Jan Brett is coming back to Wichita! She'll be here for her new book, “The
Three Snow Bears.” Watermark's event will be held at Wichita East High School
Auditorium, 2301 E. Douglas. Admission is free, and no reservations are being
taken. If you would like to have a book signed, 275 signing tickets will be
distributed on a first-come first-serve basis AT THE DOOR on the day of the
event, beginning at 4:00 p.m. You can visit Brett's Web site at:
www.janbrett.com
For a full listing of Watermark events, including book clubs and art openings,
visit the Events page of our Web site at:
http://www.watermarkbooks.com/events.html
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FEATURED REVIEW:
“The Three Snow Bears” by Jan Brett (Putnam Juvenile, 9780399247927,
$16.99)
In her newest picture book, children’s author and illustrator Jan Brett retells
the fairy-tale story of Goldilocks and the Three Bears using an artic setting
and a cast of characters made up of three realistic-looking polar bears and an
Inuit girl named Aloo-ki.
While out fishing one day on an ice flow, Aloo-ki becomes separated from her dog
team and sled by drifting ice, so she takes shelter in the largest igloo she’s
ever seen. Who lives here, she wonders? Inside, Aloo-ki finds three bowls of
delicious soup, three pairs of lovely boots lined with soft fur, and three
mounds of cozy sleeping furs. She tries them all until she finds the ones are
that are just right for her, and by the time the bear family returns with her
rescued dogs, she has fallen fast asleep!
“The Three Snow Bears” features Brett’s trademark highly detailed painted
illustrations arranged as triptychs. On each two-page spread, there’s a large
central image flanked by two smaller ones, which are in turn bordered by
additional framing images. This clever arrangement makes each page a rich visual
display populated by a parade of arctic animals decked out in far-north clothing
trimmed in fur and beadwork. In addition to Allo-ki’s adventure, the book
includes a brief account, on its back flap, of Brett’s travels in northern
Canada, which helped to inspire her fresh version of the classic story.
For ages 4 to 8.
Watermark will host Jan Brett at Wichita East High School on October 21. See the
event listing above for more details.
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Past reviews and archived issues of Teacher Feature can be read on-line on the
Watermark Web site at:
http://www.watermarkbooks.com/teach.html
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Later educators,
Mark David Bradshaw
Click here for the Teacher Feature Archives
Peruse
back issues of teacher feature since its inception in April
2003.
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