Cybils Finalists!

I'm so thrilled to have served as a Cybils first round judge in the poetry category this fall. I'm very excited to share the list we are sending forward to the round 2 judges.

Booked

by Kwame Alexander

To Stay Alive: Mary Ann Graves and the Tragic Journey of the Donner Party

by Skila Brown

Guess Who, Haiku

by Deanna Caswell

When Green Becomes Tomatoes: Poems for All Seasons

by Julie Fogliano

Garvey’s Choice

by Nikki Grimes

Fresh Delicious

by Irene Latham

The Last Fifth Grade of Emerson Elementary

by Laura Shovan

You can view all the Cybils finalists here. Happy New Year and happy reading.

Say Hello to Poetry, Cybils Style!

It's that time of year again. On October 1st the Cybils open for nominations. I am excited about serving again this year in the first round of judging with an AMAZING group of folks. Here's the scoop on the poetry category.

Our esteemed organizer: Jone Rush MacCulloch of Check It Out

Round 1

• Irene Latham of Live Your Poem
• Jone Rush MacCulloch of Check It Out
• Margaret Simon of Reflections on the Teche
• Tricia Stohr-Hunt of The Miss Rumphius Effect (that's me!)
• Carol Wilcox of Carol W’s Corner
• Sylvia Vardell of Poetry for Children

Round 2

• Linda Baie of Teacher Dance
• Rosemary Marotta of Rosemary’s Reading Circle
• Diane Mayr of Kurious Kitty’s Kurio Kabinet
• Heidi Mordhorst of My Juicy Little Universe
• Laura Shovan of Author Amok

I know we'll have a slew of terrific books to review and report on, with the outcome being a small group of outstanding finalists that will give those round two judges a whole lot to talk about. Last year I racked up $31 in library fines for keeping my books a wee bit too long. Let's hope I'm much better about returning books this year.

I can't wait to get started. Three cheers for the Cybils!

I Heart Cybils Winners

The long awaited day is finally here. Get thee to the Cybils and check out the winners in 13 different categories, including poetry, book app, speculative fiction, and more. 
Congratulations to all!

Poetry Wins Awards!

This morning I am celebrating the range of diverse books (authors, illustrators, and subjects) and poetry present in the youth media award winners announced at the American Library Association (ALA) Midwinter Meeting in Chicago.

Brown Girl Dreaming, written by Jacqueline Woodson

Newbery Honor Book

Coretta Scott King Author Book 

Sibert Honor Book

The Crossover, written by Kwame Alexander

John Newbery Medal Winner

Coretta Scott King Author Honor Book 

How I Discovered Poetry, written by Marilyn Nelson

Coretta Scott King Author Honor Book 

Josephine: The Dazzling Life of Josephine Baker, 

written by Patricia Powell  and illustrated by Christian Robinson 

Sibert Honor Book

Coretta Scott King Illustrator Honor Book 

If you are a fan of poetry and haven't read these, be sure to add them to your TBR list. 

Finally, let me add a plug for the Cybils and mention that Brown Girl Dreaming is also a Cybils poetry finalist!

Cybils Poetry Finalists

It was hard keeping quiet about this amazing list of books. Here's what the round 1 judges, a lovely group of women to work with, chose to send along to the round 2 judges.

Brown Girl Dreaming

by Jacqueline Woodson

Brown Girl Dreaming is many things in one rich collection – memoir, history, biography – and lyrical, exquisite poetry. Events of the author’s personal and family history provide the framework for a series of individual poems. Woven throughout are key events of the Civil Rights journey and also personal effects of racism and discrimination. In this beautiful and powerful tapestry of verse, one hears the poignant reflections of Jacqueline Woodson, one of today’s finest writers, who kept on dreaming through tough times and good times and who keeps on writing in mesmerizing verse.

Blurb written by Nancy Bo Flood, The Pirate Tree: Social Justice and Children’s Literature

Dear Wandering Wildebeest And Other Poems from the Water Hole

written by Irene Latham and illustrated by Anna Wadham

Dear Wandering Wildebeest’s poetry bounces with the impala and peeps like the meerkat. With childlike illustrations by Anna Wadham, Irene Latham takes us on a journey to the water hole of the African grasslands. Each poem is accompanied with factual information that will inform even the oldest readers.

To All the Beasts who Enter Here, there is word play with “Saw-scaled viper/ rubs, shrugs,/ sizzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzles,” form experiments in Triptych for a Thirsty Giraffe, humor with “Dung Beetle lays eggs/ in elephant poop,” and even danger, “Siren-howls/ foul the air./ Vultures stick to task.” Children and adults alike will love the language and learning that wanders in this book along with the animals of the watering hole.

Blurb written by Margaret Simon, Reflections on the Teche

Firefly July: A Year of Very Short Poems

written by Paul B. Janeczko and illustrated by Melissa Sweet

Prolific anthologist Paul B. Janeczko brings the old and the new together in Firefly July: A Year of Very Short Poems. The collection of 36 poems contains poems by classic poets such as Emily Dickinson and Robert Frost. Intermingled with these are poems by well known children’s poets including J. Patrick Lewis and X. J. Kennedy. Firefly July takes readers through the seasons beginning in spring and ending with winter. The poems take readers to different locations as well. Both city and country settings appear in the poems. As the subtitle states, the poems are short, but the images they evoke are almost tangible. Melissa Sweet’s mixed media illustrations are colorful, playful, imaginative, and whimsical. They draw readers into the poems. Firefly July is a stellar collection that will likely be a family favorite for years to come.

Blurb written by Bridget R. Wilson, What Is Bridget Reading?

Hi, Koo!: A Year of Seasons

written and illustrate by Jon J Muth

Inspired by his twins, Muth wrote a haiku book that doesn’t followe the often used three line, 5-7-5 syllable form. This made this title a stand out among other haiku books.
Readers take a seasonal journey from summer through spring by Koo the panda. (Thus the pun in the title: Hi Koo!) Beginning with a simple observation about the wind: /found!/ in my Coat pocket a missing button/ the wind’s surprise, to the last haiku: becoming quiet/ Zero sound/ only breath/ Muth offers to young readers a new way to experience haiku.The watercolor and ink drawings complement the text. The subtle alphabet theme adds another dimension to the book.
The author’s note at the book’s beginning sets the tone: “…haiku is like an instant captured in words–using sensory images. At its best, a haiku embodies a moment of emotion that reminds us that our own human nature is not separate from all of nature.”
This book of poetry will help readers to slow down to appreciate the small moments of nature and daily happenings.

Blurb written by Jone Rush MacCulloch, Check It Out

Santa Clauses: Short Poems from the North Pole

written by Bob Raczka and illustrated by Chuck Groenink

Who knew that among his many talents, Santa was an expert at writing haiku? In this collection of 25 poems using the 5-7-5 format, Raczka brings us Santa’s many observations, some about his job: “Wishes blowing in/from my overfilled mailbox–/December’s first storm” and others about the weather, the time of year, and Christmas preparations: “Clouds of reindeer breath/in the barn, steam rising from/my hot chocolate”. A fun read all at once, or one per day in anticipation of Christmas, some of the haiku work for winter in general as well: “Just after moonrise/I meet my tall, skinny twin–/’Good evening, shadow.'”

Blurb written by Kelly Ramsdell Fineman, Writing and Ruminating

Voices from the March on Washington

written by J. Patrick Lewis and George Ella Lyon

Voices from the March is a historical novel in verse that focuses specifically on the momentous march on Washington, D.C. on August 28, 1963, where Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. gave his landmark “I Have a Dream” speech. Six fictional characters (young and old, black and white) tell their tales on this historic day in cycles of linked poems alongside the perspectives of historic figures and other march participants for a rich tapestry of multiple points of view. It’s been 50 years since the signing of the Civil Rights Act in 1964, when discrimination on the basis of race, color, religion, sex, or national origin became against the law. In this powerful work, Lewis and Lyon tackle issues of racial and social justice in 70 lyrical poems that reflect the perspectives of young people and adults struggling with taking action for positive change in peaceful ways. In addition, extensive and helpful back matter includes a guide to the fictional and historical voices, bibliography, index, and list of websites and related books.

Blurb written by Sylvia Vardell, Poetry for Children

Water Rolls, Water Rises Water Rolls, Water Rises: El agua rueda, el agua sube

written by Pat Mora and illustrated by Meilo So

In a series of free verse poems in English and Spanish, our most precious natural resource takes center stage. Water rolls, rises, slithers, hums, twists, plunges, slumbers and moves across the Earth in varied forms and places. Mora’s three-line poems are filled with imagery and emotion. “Water rises/ into soft fog,/ weaves down the street, strokes and old cat.” (In Spanish: “El agua sube/ formando suave neblina/ que ondula pro la calle, acacia a un gate viejo.”) The lyrical movement of water described in verse is accompanied by Meilo So’s gorgeous mixed-media illustrations highlighting 16 landscapes from Iceland, to China, to Mexico, the United States and more. Back matter includes an author’s note and information about the images in the book. A joyous, bilingual celebration, this collection brings water to life.

Blurb written by Tricia Stohr-Hunt, The Miss Rumphius Effect

Learn more about the Cybils and check out the other books send forward at 2014 Finalists.

Congrats to the 2012 Cybils Winners!

I'm thrilled that BookSpeak!: Poems About Books is this year's Cybils winner in the poetry category. Go Laura!

There are many other very deserving winners. Check them out at The 2012 Cybils Awards.

To see the shortlists from which the winners were selected, check out  Cybils Finalists Flyer.

Congratulations to all the finalists and winners, and thanks to all the hardworking Cybils folks for making it happen.

Cybils Nominations Open Today!

Nominations have opened for the 7th annual Cybils award! Anyone may nominate one book per genre during the public nomination period. If you try to nominate more than one book per genre, or if the book's already been nominated by someone else, you'll get kicked back to the main page. That's okay though, just go with your second or third choice!

Here's the nomination form. I'm off myself to nominate a few favorites.

Cybils Winners Announced

Yes, they're in. Go now!

Cybils 2011 Winners

And here are the short lists they were selected from.
Cybils 2011 Finalists

And the Finalists Are ...

The finalists for the 2011 Cybils are in! This year there was a new category (Book Apps) and as usual, many wonderful titles up for review.

Links to the finalists are below.

Book Apps
Easy Readers & Early Chapter Books
Fantasy & Science Fiction (Middle Grade)
Fantasy & Science Fiction (Young Adult)
Fiction Picture Books
Graphic Novels
Middle Grade Fiction
Nonfiction for Middle Grade & Young Adult
Nonfiction Picture Books
Poetry
Young Adult Fiction

I had the honor of serving on the round 1 panel for poetry. We had a wonderful group of judges who engaged in some thoughtful discussions about the award criteria and the nominated titles.

So, off you go! I  do hope some of your favorites made the lists.

Poetry Friday - At the Sea Floor Café

At the Sea Floor Café: Odd Ocean Critter Poems, written by Leslie Bulion and illustrated by Leslie Evans, is a collection that contains 18 poems, a helpful glossary of scientific terms, poetry notes that describe the form of the poems, and suggestions for additional resources. Did you know that Bulion has a graduate degree in oceanography? That means you'll find poetry and science--a perfect pairing in my opinion--that are nicely matched in this collection. 

Here's a poem about an octopus.

Walk Like a Nut

This octopus walks backwards on two arms,
And wraps the other six around its top.
It ambles free of predatory harms,
And thus avoids become shark-chewed slop.

It winds six tentacles around its top,
Pretending to be flotsam sharks ignore,
And treads away from trouble, flippy flop,
Instead of being chomped to guts and gore--

A coconut that strolls across the ocean floor.

Poem © Leslie Bulion. All rights reserved.

The poems in this collection are accompanied by factual information. Here's the text about the coconut octopus.

The coconut octopus wraps six of its arms around its head and walks backwards on its other two arms. This movement makes the octopus look like a coconut drifting across the shallow sea floor near Indonesia. Predators hunting for an eight-tentacled snack pass on by.

This is just the type of book I enjoying sharing with my preservice teachers. The blending of poetry and informational text makes this a good choice for teachers attempting to to integrate children's literature into the content areas.

If you want some additional information on ocean life, here are just a few resources you may find useful.

• The Monterey Bay Aquarium has a terrific animal guide, as well as some great games and interactives. (Print out a set of critter cards for even more fun!)
  
• DLTK's Crafts for Kids has some ocean animal activities.
• Treasures at Sea: Exploring the Ocean Through Literature is a teaching unit that includes games and puzzles, writing activities, book recommendations, art activities and more.
• The Fish FAQ from Woods Hole Science Aquarium has answers to just about any question you might have about fish and other ocean animals.

The round up this week is being hosted by Jama at Jama's Alphabet Soup. Do stop by and take in all the terrific poetry being shared. Before you go, be sure to check out this week's poetry stretch results. Happy poetry Friday all!

I Heart Cybils Winners

The long awaited day is finally here. Get thee to the Cybils and check out the winners. Congratulations to all.

Cybils Finalists Announced!

Hurray! The finalists for the Cybils have been announced! Check out the books that made the cut in these categories.

• Easy Readers & Short Chapter Books
• Fantasy & Science Fiction (Middle Grade)
• Fantasy & Science Fiction (Young Adult)
• Fiction Picture Books
• Graphic Novels
• Middle Grade Fiction
• Non-Fiction Middle Grade/YA
• Non-Fiction Picture Books
• Poetry
• Young Adult Fiction

Thanks to all who worked so hard to bring these terrific titles to the attention of readers. I can't wait to see what the round 2 judges have to say about them. Winners will be announced on February 14th.

Well Hello Cybils Poetry!

And the poetry goodness in my life just keeps on coming. . .

It's that time of year again. On October 1st, the Cybils open for nominations. This year I'm moving out of nonfiction picture books and into poetry. I know I will miss nonfiction, but am looking forward to examining this year's crop of poetry in more depth. I am particularly excited about the amazing folks I get to serve with. Here's the scoop on the poetry category.

Our esteemed organizer: Kelly Fineman of Writing and Ruminating.

Panelists (Round 1)

• Bruce Black of Wordswimmer
• Kristy Dempsey of Reverie: Abstract Musings on a Hopeful Life
• Kelly Fineman of Writing and Ruminating
• Tricia Stohr-Hunt of The Miss Rumphius Effect (that's me!)
  
• Sylvia Vardell of Poetry for Children
  

Judges (Round 2)

• Sara Lewis Holmes of Read*Write*Believe
• Elaine Magliaro of Wild Rose Reader
• Greg Pincus of GottaBook
• Jama Rattigan of Alphabet Soup
• Stacey Shubitz from Two Writing Teachers

I know we'll have a slew of terrific books to review and report on, with the outcome being a small group of outstanding finalists that will give those round two judges a whole lot to talk about. Three cheers for the Cybils!

Cybils Love 2009

The wait is over! Hop on over (that's a clue!) and check out the winners. You won't be disappointed. Go Now!

And the Finalists Are ... Cybils Nonfiction Picture Books

After weeks of reading and reviewing books, the shortlist for nonfiction picture books is in. HURRAY! I am so pleased to have been a part of this process. Working with Becky (In the Pages), David (Adventures at Wilder Farm), Jone (Check It Out), and Debbie (Readerbuzz), was a wonderful experience. I also can't forget to mention our fearless leader, author and blogger extraordinaire, Fiona Bayrock of Books and 'Rocks. Thanks to all!

This year we had the difficult task of selecting 7 finalists from a pool of 59 very worthy titles. We are thrilled to hand this list off to the judging panel, confident that they will have much to discuss in the days ahead. The folks who will work together to make the final decision are:

• Fiona Bayrock at Books and 'Rocks
• Andrea Beaty at Three Silly Chicks
• Emily Mitchell at Emily Reads
• Candice Ransom at Ellsworth's Journal and Books!Books!
  
• Andrea Ross at Just One More Book

Without further ado, here are the finalists in the Cybils nonfiction picture book category.

Astronaut Handbook
written and illustrated by Meghan McCarthy

Duel! Burr and Hamilton's Deadly War of Words
written by Dennis Brindell Fradin and illustrated by Larry Day

Fabulous Fishes
written and illustrated by Susan Stockdale

Nic Bishop Frogs
written and photographed by Nic Bishop

A River of Words: The Story of William Carlos Williams
written by Jen Bryant and illustrated by Melissa Sweet

Wanda Gág: The Girl Who Lived to Draw
written and illustrated by Deborah Kogan Ray
Wangari's Trees of Peace: A True Story from Africa
written and illustrated by Jeanette Winter

Now that you've seen one list, do head on over to the Cybils and check out all of the finalists.

Thoughts on the Cybils

The list of nonfiction picture finalists has been signed, sealed and delivered to our intrepid organizer. It will be published on January 1st, along with the finalists in the seven other categories. I can't wait to see how the other groups of panelists have whittled down their lists.

Here are some of my initial thoughts about the Cybils in general and more specifically about working through the nonfiction picture book titles this year.

1. Where Does It Belong?
The organizers for all the categories worked behind the scenes as nominations rolled in to determine the eligibility of titles and to ensure proper placement of books. This required a lot of hard work and some intense discussion. In some cases, where a book belongs isn't evident until a panelist sees it first hand. One of our books was moved to fiction picture books because the note in the back of the book explained the book was "based on a true story." The cataloging information just wasn't enough go on when deciding where to place the book.

2. Is It Nonfiction?
During the nomination stage, a few titles were moved to the fiction picture book category. While they were clearly "informational" books, they weren't strictly nonfiction. I tend to think of these books as "faction"--a nice blend of fact and fiction. One example of this was Boycott Blues: How Rosa Parks Inspired a Nation, written by by Andrea Davis Pinkney and illustrated by Brian Pinkney. Narrated by a guitar-playing hound dog, it's a beautiful, blues-inspired account of the Montgomery bus boycott. Another example can be found in Fartiste, written by Kathleen Krull and illustrated by Paul Brewer. This biography of Joseph Pujol, a Frenchman who built a stage career using fart effects, reads on the cover, "an explosively funny, mostly true story." It's unfortunate this disclaimer appears so boldly from the outset, as it seems designed only to let readers know that the title relies on fact as well as legend in telling Pujol's life story.

There are always so many titles in the category of fiction picture books that I fear some of these more "information-oriented" books may get lost in milieu of more traditional stories.

3. First Person Narratives?
I was surprised by the number of titles that used first person in the writing. In some cases, the author included extensive notes that lent veracity to their use. However, in other cases there was no such information. How then, is a reader to take this information? Keep Your Eye on the Kid: The Early Years of Buster Keaton, written and illustrated by Catherine Brighton, is a fantastic biography of Keaton's early years, but it is written entirely in the first person. The author's note provides sources for further reading, as well as some Keaton films that are currently available on DVD, but she never explains the first person use.

4. Common Themes
Biographies abounded in the list of nominees this year. At least 25 titles were accounts of important events in the lives of historical figures or works that recounted a large portion of their life stories. Two very different biographies on Nobel Peace Prize winner Wangari Mathaai were included in this number. In addition to these, one title provided a biographical look at the Statue of Liberty!

Always popular, books about animals made a strong showing. Two of these animal titles were inspired by events following hurricane Katrina. There were also 2 books about bears, 2 about frogs, and 2 about ocean life.

I found it interesting that a number of the nominees contained photographic illustrations. These tended to be books on science (animal) topics.

5. Publisher Participation
Nearly one third of the nominated titles in our category were not sent to the panelists. (One panelist informed us that two titles arrived on her doorstep yesterday!) Fortunately, most of use were able to wrangle books through local libraries or interlibrary loan. In the end, there were only 2 books we never saw. I must say that I'm a bit puzzled by the lack of participation. Members of our panel highlighted nominees on their blogs. The titles got face-time at the Cybils site and even more publicity from the Cybils widget. Based on the strength of many of these titles, I purchased some for my own collection. I also took books into local schools and read them with kids. While there I made recommendations to classroom teachers and school librarians.

The positive press generated by the Cybils should not be underestimated. I'm not sure how we get more publishers to participate, but I would think that this kind of free advertising is worth giving away a book or two.

That's all for now. I still have more book reviews to post, so don't forget to come back and look for them in the new year.

Rounding Up the Cybils NFPB Reviews

I am still making my way through the Cybils nominees in the category of nonfiction picture books. So far I have written reviews for nearly 35% of the books. Here are the titles reviewed to date.

• 10 Things I Can Do to Help My World: Fun and Easy Eco-Tips, written and illustrated by Melanie Walsh
• Animals Christopher Columbus Saw, written by Sandra Markle and illustrated by Jamel Akib
  
• Animals Robert Scott Saw, written by Sandra Markle and illustrated by Phil
  
• Astronaut Handbook, written and illustrated by Meghan McCarthy
• Ballots for Belva: The True Story of a Woman's Race for the Presidency, written by SudiptaBardhan-Quallen and illustrated by Courtney Martin
• Boys of Steel: The Creators of Superman, written by Marc Tyler Nobleman and illustrated by Ross MacDonald
• Duel!: Burr and Hamilton's Deadly War of Words, written by Dennis Brindell Fradin and illustrated by Larry Day
• Eggs, written by Marilyn Singer and illustrated by Emma Stevenson
• Fabulous Fishes, written and illustrated by Susan Stockdale
• Flip, Float, Fly: Seeds on the Move, written by JoAnn Early Macken and illustrated by Pam Paparone
• It's Moving Day!, written by Pamela Hickman and illustrated by Geraldo Valéro
• Johnny Appleseed: The Legend and the Truth, written by Jane Yolen and illustrated by Jim Burke
• Lincoln and Douglass: An American Friendship, written by Nikki Gionvanni and illustrated by Bryan Collier
• Little Green Frogs, written and illustrated by Frances Barry
• Looking Closely: Inside the Garden, written and illustrated by Frank Serafini
• Molly the Pony: A True Story, written by Pam Kaster
• Nic Bishop Frogs, written and illustrated by Nic Bishop
• Two Bobbies: A True Story of Hurricane Katrina, Friendship, and Survival, written Kirby Larson and Mary Nethery and illustrated by Jean Cassels
• Underwear: What We Wear Under There, written by Ruth Freeman Swain and illustrated by John O'Brien
• Wangari's Trees of Peace: A True Story from Africa, written and illustrated by Jeanette Winter

My colleagues on the review panel are also hard at work. You can find their take on the nominees at the sites below.

• Jone's posts at Check It Out
• Becky's posts at In the Pages
• Debbie's posts at Readerbuzz

You can find links to even more NFPB reviews at this post.

We're getting down to the wire now, with a list of finalists due at the end of the month. Criteria used to evaluate the nominees include:

• Writing (and if pertinent, illustration)
• Kid appeal
• Is it a book an older child, or even an adult, will rush to finish, before reading it a second time?
• Is the book innovative? Does it surprise you with something new?
• Does the book speak to you as a reader?

I can't wait to see where this goes. More to come . . .

Cybils Book Review - Flip, Float, Fly: Seeds on the Move

In spring of 2007, I wrote a thematic book list on seeds and growing things. When I update the list, Flip, Float, Fly!: Seeds on the Move, written by JoAnn Early Macken and illustrated by Pam Paparone, will most certainly be added.

It begins:

Take a breath and blow
on a fuzzy dandelion. Whee!
One puff sends seeds soaring.
Like small, soft feathers,
they parachute up in the sky.

I love the alliteration and the poetry of this first page. It provides a great hint at what's to come. This opening page faces the copyright information, and is covered with a double-page spread of a young girl gently blowing on a seeded dandelion.

The text continues:

Maple seeds whirl and twirl in a breeze.
   FLIP, flutter, float!
      The wind lifts them up and off of the tree.
         Away they fly like shiny green helicopters,
            spinning and spinning.

I can't do justice to the font and form of the text here. It is simply lovely. Each illustration that accompanies the text covers a full double-page spread. Readers learn about specific plants and how their seeds are spread, from tumbleweeds (why did it never occur to me that this was how they disperse their seeds?) to coconuts. In some instances, a "microscope view" (round circle containing a close-up image) shows the fruit, flower and leaves of the plant described. The illustrations are soft, quiet and beautiful. Even the picture of a bat "passing" seeds (after it has feasted on a fig) is charming.

Readers will not only learn about the ingenious ways that seeds disperse themselves, but also how they use wind, water, and animals to help them move and survive. The description of burdock seeds and the illustrations reminded me of the hours spent as a child pulling them off my socks and brushing them out of my dog's coat after long walks in the fields near home.

The last spread in the text depicts a beautiful bouquet of flowers and reads:

People plant seeds
in gardens and flowerpots.
They tend the seedlings and watch them grow.

Sprouts! Shoots! Leaves and roots!
Flowers bloom and new seeds form,
beginning the cycle again.

The next double-page spread serves as an illustrated glossary, depicting and defining seedpod, fruit, seed, shoot, sprout, seedling, nut, flower, leaves, stem and roots. The final page of the text includes a few notes about seeds.

This is an imaginative and informative pairing of science and poetry, accompanied by thoroughly striking illustrations. I highly recommend it.

Book: Flip, Float, Fly!: Seeds on the Move
Author: JoAnn Early Macken
Illustrator: Pam Paparone
Publisher: Holiday House
Date Published: 2008
Pages: 32 pages
Grade: K-5
ISBN: 978-0823420438
Source of Book: Local public library

This post was written for Nonfiction Monday. Head on over to Anastasia Suen’s blog and check out all the great posts highlighting nonfiction this week.

Cybils Book Reviews - The Explorers Series

In the Explorers series, Sandra Markle introduces readers to a decidedly different approach to the history of exploration. It is best described in the Note to Parents and Teachers found at the front of each book.

The books in the Explorers series take young readers back in time to share explorations that had a major impact on people’s view of the world. Kids will investigate why and how the explorers made their journeys and learn about animals they discovered along the way. They’ll find out how some animals affected the outcome of the journey, helping explorers find their way, causing key events to happen, or helping the explorers survive. Young readers will also learn that, because of the explorers’ journeys, animals were introduced to places they’d never lived before, sometimes with dramatic results.

The book on Columbus begins this way.

Would you believe that, once, worms inspired people to explore the world? In fifteenth-century Europe, silk made from the thread of silkworms was more valuable than gold. Silk and silkworms could only be found in the areas now known as China and Japan, and finding the fastest sea route between these areas and Europe could make an explorer very rich. Christopher Columbus was determined to find that route. In 1492, he set off with three ships, and while he did find land, it wasn't what he expected. Neither were the animals he found along the way.

Readers learn about the Silk Road and the quest to find an easier route to the silk and spice trade. It took more than eight years for Columbus to sell his plan. The description of the ships includes information about cats and rats, both of which were common shipmates, as well as "bugs in the grub." The fleet set sail on August 3, 1492. They had problems early on and landed in the Canary Islands before they set sail again. They entered the Sargasso Sea in mid-September. The wealth of animals they spotted led them to believe they were close to land, but this was not the case. Finally, in mid-October, they spotted land.

Christopher Columbus leapt out of his boat ahead of all the others and waded onto the beach. There he dropped to his knees and gave thanks for a safe voyage. He named the new land San Salvador and claimed it for Spain. Neither Columbus nor the Spanish rulers cared that a group of people Columbus came to call the Tainos (TI-nohz) had already settled on the island and called it Guanahani (Gwah-nah-hah-KNEE).

The author makes no bones abut Columbus' actions towards the natives and states that "Columbus ordered his men to capture six of the natives. In his logbook he described them as strong, healthy, smart, and likely to be good slaves." Columbus sailed through the islands of the Caribbean for two months before departing in on Christmas Eve in 1492. Around midnight, the Santa Maria struck a coral reef and began to sink. Columbus was forced to join the crew of the Niña and left the crew of the Santa Maria behind to found a colony on the island he named Española. On January 6, the Pinta and Niña finally reunited to sail home, but it was a difficult journey. Both ships finally returned to the Spanish port of Palos on March 15, 1493. In April of 1493, Columbus went to meet the King and Queen and show them all he had brought back from the Caribbean, including the Taino captives, gold, and animals.

As the story of Columbus is told, sidebars and other text bits describe the animals Columbus encountered. The page displaying a map of the islands that Columbus explored describes seabirds, painted fish, baby turtles, and mermaids (manatees). The page describing the sinking of the Santa Maria is accompanied by the following text.

ANIMALS SANK THE SHIP
Coral reefs are really large groups of animals called coral polyps. Each coral polyp produces a hard skeleton around itself, forming a little cup it can hide inside. Neighboring coral polyps link their skeletons together. When they die their skeletons become the foundation on which new coral polyps build. Slowly, the coral colony becomes big enough to form a reef.

I found there was less of an emphasis on animals in the volume on Robert Scott. This book seemed to focus more on Scott and the men who made the trek with him. Here is how this one begins.

Imagine a place that is so far away from where most people live that for ages no one knew it existed. It can be reached only during the summer because in the winter it is surrounded by ice and it's dark nearly all the time. Much of the land is also covered in ice year-round, and the weather is among the fiercest in the world. This place is Antarctica (ant-ARK-ti-kuh).

Since it's such a long journey to get to Antarctica and conditions there are so unpleasant, why did Robert Falcon Scott go there twice? You may be surprised to learn that animals had a lot to do with why he went and also played a major role in what happened while Scott was there.

Throughout this book, "boxes" resembling index cards provide information about the exploration, animals, and important findings. Since these explorations took place in the early twentieth century, there are photographs to accompany the illustrations.

Readers first learn a bit about Scott and Dr. Edward Wilson, the assistant surgeon on the expedition who also happened to be a skilled painter who loved to study birds. While Scott oversaw preparations in England, others were being made in New Zealand. Dogs for the expedition were shipped there ahead of the ship's arrival so that they could train for their work. Scott's ship, the Discovery, left Scotland in 1901 on the last day of July. On board were all the supplies they needed, 47 men, and Scott's dog, Scamp. On the way to New Zealand, the ship stopped at Macquarie Island to investigate the wildlife. It was here that Scott and his crew first saw penguins. The Discovery reached New Zealand in November of that same year. It took a month for the crew to overhaul the ship, load more supplies, and take on the sled dogs to prepare for the final journey to Antarctica. Scott and his crew (minus Scamp, whom Scott found a home for) set sail on December 21, 1901.

By the end of January, 1902, the Discovery and her crew were anchored in McMurdo Sound and setting up camp. During the first year they had many preparations to keep them busy. It wasn't until November of 1902 that Scott, Dr. Wilson, and Ernest Shackleton headed south to try and reach the pole. The trip was disastrous, so the group turned back a few days before Christmas. When they returned to McMurdo Sound in February of 1903, they found a ship anchored in the harbor prepared to accompany them back to New Zealand. However, the Discovery was trapped in ice and unable to sail, so the relief ship set sail after leaving behind fresh supplies and a few members of its crew. Scott was happy to stay in Antarctica to further his explorations, while Dr. Wilson was eager to study the Emperor penguins. This second year in Antarctica brought another failed attempt to reach the pole.

Scott returned to England in September of 1904. He was surprised to find he was famous. He returned to service in the navy, married, and dreamed of returning to Antarctica. A second expedition was funded in 1909. Because another explorer was also setting off for Antarctica, papers around the world billed this as a competition to reach the South Pole first. However, Scott's expedition was to study the wildlife, weather, and rocks. This time they brought dogs and ponies with them. Their goal was to drop off supplies along the route they would take the next summer to the South Pole. The trip was fraught with difficulties the entire way. After a winter of study, Scott and a team of 11 men left on November 1, 1911 to try and reach the pole. When the team reached the Beardmore Glacier, 3 men and the dog teams were sent back. In January of 1912, three more men were sent back. Only 4 men remained with Scott to reach the Pole. In March a dog team set out to meet Scott's team at a supply depot, but after six days of waiting, they left alone.

In reading about Scott's quest to reach the Pole, I found myself wondering why anyone would persist in the face of such difficulties. My son was caught up in the story of the dogs and horses, and what he perceived to be terrible treatment of them. He couldn't get past how difficult and deadly the work was for them. No matter what captures your fancy, there's no denying this is a gripping tale.

On first glance I thought the Animals __ Saw in the title was a bit misleading. While there is plenty of information about the animals that were encountered, studied, and even eaten along the way, particularly in the Columbus book, the emphasis really is on the exploration.

In the end, I found I was utterly fascinated with these books. In addition to the wealth of information in the texts, both contain a glossary, extensive index, and information on books and web sites where readers can learn more. Teachers will be happy to know that there is a guide for this series.

Book: Animals Christopher Columbus Saw: An Adventure in the New World
Author: Sandra Markle
Illustrator: Jamel Akib
Publisher: Chronicle Books
Date Published: 2008
Pages: 48 pages
Grade: 3-6
ISBN: 978-0811849166

Source of Book: Local public library

Book: Animals Robert Scott Saw: An Adventure in Antarctica

Author: Sandra Markle
Illustrator: Phil
Publisher: Chronicle Books
Date Published: 2008
Pages: 48 pages
Grade: 3-6
ISBN: 081184918X

Source of Book: Local public library

Cybils Book Review - Underwear: What We Wear Under There

My mother called them unmentionables. My son calls them skivvies. Seeing them hanging out of a person's pants often prompts a smile. Why does underwear spark such interest? Is it the needless giggles that erupt around it's mention, or is it something to do with knowing the tortuous nature of apparel of old? No matter the reason, kids and adults seem to love learning about the fascinating history of undergarments.

Underwear: What We Wear Under There, written by Ruth Freeman Swain and illustrated by John O'Brien, looks at underwear through the years. It begins:

People have giggled about it, snickered about it, whispered about it (shhh) for hundreds of years. They've made jokes; they've teased. They've been too embarrassed to talk about it out loud, even though they have a pretty good idea what's under there.

What is it? What is so funny about underwear?

And ends:

Will underwear still be funny in the future? Maybe it always will be. There's just something about it. Is it because underwear is usually hidden? Because it's the layer between being dressed and undressed? Because it's colorful, silly, skimpy, or just because it's . . . under there?

Can you say it in a whisper? Can you say it out loud? Can you say it without a smile?
"I see London,
I see France,
I see Laura's under ____?"

In between, a skillfully written, engaging text, accompanied by clever, cartoon-style illustrations describes the evolution of underwear from early days to the present. There is much to learn and enjoy here. The illustrations are downright funny. While much of the humor may escape young readers, adults will enjoy every bit of it. For example, one illustration shows shows a woman catapulting into a hoop skirt, while the opposite page shows women fully dressed and parachuting to the floor instead of taking the staircase. Another illustration shows a group of men, women and children dressed in "union suits," skating on a pond. Below them, a bull chases a family dressed in red union suits out of a field. There is also a wonderful illustration of a soldier parachuting out of the sky with what appears to be a nylon stocking.

Here are some of the interesting things I learned while reading this book.

• Loincloths were the earliest form of underpants and were worn in all parts of the ancient world, including Africa, China, Rome and the Incan empire.
• Knights wore padded underwear to protect their bodies from their suits of armor.
• In sixteenth century England, underwear was alive with fleas, ticks and mites because people rarely bathed.
• A "bum roll" was a cushion a woman wore tied around her waist to hold her skirts out away from her body.
• Ruffled pantalettes were worn beneath dresses and eventually morphed (shrunk) into drawers, bloomers, and finally the underpants women wear today.
• Corsets so changed a woman's body that they not only altered the position of internal organs, but made digestion and childbearing difficult.
• In 1911, with the introduction of the tango, came the need for more flexible "bust supporters" to replace corsets. These supporters eventually led to the invention of the brassiere.
• On the first day nylon stockings were sold in America, three quarters of a millions pairs sold out immediately.

In addition to the history of underwear, there is a bit of an introduction to the history of diapers. There is also information about what happens to old underwear.

Instead of going into a landfill, the used clothing may be sold at a Goodwill store, or sold to a recycling company that converts it back into cotton fibers to be used in new ways, such as stuffing for dolls. Used clothes are also shipped in large bales to countries such as Zambia in Africa.

The book ends with a timeline on the history of underwear, and includes a list of books and web sites where readers can get additional information.

My son and I had a great deal of fun reading this book. There were oohs and aahs, guffaws, and giggles galore. Upon finishing the text there were several sections we went back to reread. Overall, this is a fascinating read that is well-written and fancifully illustrated. I highly recommend it.

Book: Underwear: What We Wear Under There
Author: Ruth Freeman Swain
Illustrator: John O'Brien
Publisher: Holiday House
Date Published: 2008
Pages: 32 pages
Grade: 3-8
ISBN: 978-0823419203
Source of Book: Interlibrary loan (Thank you Alexandria library!)