Watermark Teacher Feature – November 29, 2007
 
In this issue:
 
BOOK NEWS
 
Newsflashes:
* Sherman Alexie wins National Book Award
* NEA study finds decline in voluntary reading
 
Fresh Titles: Skippyjon Jones, charming toy adventures, and a new Choldenko!
 
UPCOMING EVENTS
 
Final Friday Art Opening: Jaki McElroy, Friday, Nov. 30.
Tess Gerritsen book signing: Tuesday, Dec. 4.
Jim Reed reading & signing: Thursday, Dec. 6.
KMUW Literary Feast: Friday, Dec. 7.
Marjorie Rine book signing: Sunday, Dec. 9.
 
READ PRO QUO
 
* Free books on offer
 
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This and previous issues of Teacher Feature are available on the Watermark Web site. You can read on-line, complete with pictures and clickable links, here: www.watermarkbooks.com/teach

 
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Greetings and salutations,
 
I hope you all enjoyed a Thanksgiving to be thankful for. My old refrigerator has almost returned to its normal state, aside from some sweet potatoes and a sliver of pie lingering at the back. (Speaking of which, if you've never tried the Cook's Illustrated "Best Recipe" cookbooks, I heartily recommend them: one helped me to bake the best pumpkin pie of my life this year. No joking. Pie is far too important to me to joke about.)

In further holiday news, you can find great gift suggestions (and a limited-time coupon for a peppermint milkshake from the Watermark Café) by reading Sarah’s Holiday Notes on-line here: http://www.watermarkbooks.com/holidaynotes2007.html

(The coupon is included in the list of mystery titles; it's good until Tuesday, Dec. 4.)
 
And on the subject of cool free stuff: This may be our best Read Pro Quo yet! Look below for the awesome signed copies of new (and award-winning) books on offer.
 
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NEWSFLASHES
 
Sherman Alexie Wins National Book Award
 
Earlier this month, the National Book Award Foundation announced that Sherman Alexie’s new teen novel “The Absolutely True Diary of a Part-Time Indian” (Little, Brown Young Readers, 9780316013680, $16.99, 240 pages, ages 13 and up) took the prize in the category for Young People’s Literature. Told using a mixture of text and occasional cartoons, the book's win continues the trend toward greater recognition of graphic literature (like last year’s award nominee “American Born Chinese”) by the major children’s awards.
 
 
NEA Study Finds Decline in Voluntary Reading

The National Endowment for the Arts (NEA) recently released a new analysis of reading patterns in the U.S. The study finds declines in both voluntary reading and test scores. One key finding: Teens and young adults read less often and for shorter amounts of time compared with other age groups and with Americans of previous years. Less than one-third of 13-year-olds are daily readers, a 14 percent decline from 20 years earlier. The percentage of non-reading 17-year-olds doubled over a 20-year period, from nine percent in 1984 to 19 percent in 2004. On average, Americans ages 15 to 24 spend almost two hours a day watching TV, and only seven minutes of their daily leisure time reading. For an executive summary of the study, visit the NEA Web site: http://www.nea.gov/research/ToRead_ExecSum.pdf

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FRESH TITLES
 
Picture books
 
“Skippyjon Jones and the Big Bones” by Judy Schachner (Dutton Juvenile, 9780525478843, $16.99, ages 4 to 8) This new picture book is a perfect high-energy read-aloud, complete with songs, clapping, and the hilarious exploits of the dashing Skippito Friskito, a wildly imaginative Siamese cat with big dreams of being a feisty Chihuahua. It even comes with an audio CD of the author performing the story. Read review
 
“Henry’s Freedom Box: A True Story From the Underground Railroad” by Ellen Levine, illus. by Kadir Nelson (Scholastic Press, 9780439777339, $16.99, ages 4 to 8) This beautifully illustrated picture book tells the true story of Henry “Box” Brown, a man born into slavery in Virginia in the mid-1800s, who mails himself to freedom in Philadelphia. Its real-life story and Kadir Nelson’s distinctive illustrations make it a fit companion to Carole Boston Weatherford’s award-winning “Moses: When Harriet Tubman Led Her People to Freedom.” Read review
 
 
Early-grades books
 
“Toys Go Out: Being the Adventures of a Knowledgeable Stingray, a Toughy Little Buffalo, and Someone Called Plastic” by Emily Jenkins, illus. by Paul Zelinsky (Schwartz & Wade, 9780375836046, $16.95, ages 5 to 10) This deeply charming book of stories contains six secret adventures enjoyed by a group toys when their favorite little girl isn’t looking. It’s a wonderful collection with strong echoes of “Toy Story” and classic Winnie-the-Pooh flavor. (My biggest thanks go to Janice Penner of Earhart Environmental Magnet for recommending it as part of Read Pro Quo!) Read review
 
 
“Violet Bing and the Grand House” by Jennifer Paros (Viking Juvenile, 9780670061518, $14.99, chapter book for ages 6 to 10) This whimsical illustrated chapter book tells how the overly finicky Violet Bing slowly learns to Try New Things She Might Not Like during a vacation spent with her great aunt in a big house filled with many Things of Interest, including a dog, a bicycle, a carpet bag, a map showing a secret passage, and a super new friend! Read review
 
 
Middle-grades fiction
 
“If A Tree Falls at Lunch Period” by Gennifer Choldenko (Harcourt Children's Books, 9780152057534, $17.00, 212 pages, ages 9 to 12) In her new middle-grades novel, Choldenko (author of the Newbery finalist “Al Capone Does My Shirts” and the excellent picture book “How To Make Friends With a Giant”) takes two very different junior-high-school students and lets us watch as their separate worlds crash together. The book reads at a fast pace, but as always, Choldenko delivers more than just a great story; there’s real depth to her portrayal of how preteens deal with self-image, bullying, and the divides of race and money. Read review
 
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UPCOMING WATERMARK EVENTS
 
 
Final Friday Art Opening: Jaki McElroy. Friday, November 30. 6:00 p.m.
 
Watermark will host a Friday evening reception for the opening of Jaki McElroy's newly hung art show. The show will run through January 22.
 
 

Tess Gerritsen book signing: Tuesday, December 4. 2:30 - 4:00 p.m.
 
Physician and best selling author, Tess Gerritsen, will be in Wichita to speak at the Medical Society of Sedgwick County meeting on December 4th. Prior to that presentation, Gerritsen will sign copies of her latest book, “The Bone Garden,” at Watermark from 2:30 - 4:00 p.m. Through the partnership with MSSC, Watermark will be donating 15% of the proceeds from Gerritsen's books to the Medical Service Bureau.
 
 
Jim Reed reading & book signing: Thursday, December 6. 7:00 p.m.
 
Photographer Jim Reed will host an evening presentation and signing for his new book “Storm Chaser: A Photographer's Journey.” An acclaimed photographer and veteran storm chaser, Reed has published his pictures in National Geographic, Time Magazine, The New York Times, and elsewhere. View a selection of his photos on-line at: http://www.jimreedphoto.com

 
 
KMUW Literary Feast: Friday, December 7. 7:00 p.m.
 
The December book will be “The Pirate's Daughter” by Margaret Cezair-Thompson. Literary Feast participants will enjoy dinner together, with a menu specially created by our Watermark chef, then take part in a book discussion over dessert. Tickets are available at the Watermark book counter or by calling (316) 682-1181. Places are limited, and we recommend purchasing your ticket well in advance. Read more about the book and author on the KMUW Web site: http://www.kmuw.org/LiteraryFeasts.html

 
Marjorie Rine book signing: Sunday, December 9. 2:00 - 4:00 p.m.
 
Wichita author Marjorie Rine will be at Watermark to sign copies of her new book of poems “Doggerel and Catharsis.”
 
 
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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READ PRO QUO: Free books for a song!
 
Great stuff on offer this week:
 
* One signed copy (complete with CD) of Judy Schachner’s “Skippyjon Jones and the Big Bones,” which includes a very sweet illustration by the author.
 
* Two first-edition signed copies of Sherman Alexie’s National Book Award winner “The Absolutely True Diary of a Part-time Indian.”

To request a book, send an e-mail with a quick bit about one of your recent reads, along with your name and contact info, and the item you're requesting to me at: markdbradshaw@hotmail.com

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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/teacharchives.html

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Later educators,
 
Mark David Bradshaw

 

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