The Cybils are simply awesome.  What can I say.  The Cybils Awards are given each year from bloggers (aka – children’s literature enthusiasts aka – over enthused fans aka – those prone to squealing in the presence of an awesome book) to a group of children’s books which combine literary excellence and child appeal.

And it’s time to get this party started!  So here’s what you need to know . . .

What You Need to Do – Your Checklist (do or beware the stalking!)

• Subscribe to the Cybils feed.
• Follow @cybils on Twitter
• Get some Cybils bling for your blog if you have one.
• Buy Cybils bling for your home or office.
• If you are a librarian or a teacher (or not) – spread the word!
• GO NOMINATE your favorite (the best of the best) book published in the last year in nine different categories. You can see titles already nominated with these links:
  • Easy Readers and Short Chapter Book
  • Fantasy and Science Fiction
  • Fiction Picture Books
  • Graphic Novels
  • Middle Grade Fiction
  • Nonfiction Picture Books
  • Nonfiction for Middle Grade and Teens
  • Poetry
  • Young Adult Fiction
• And last – get excited!

Dates to Remember

• October 1-15th:  Nominations open to the public
• New Year’s Day:  Short Lists announced
• St. Valentines Day:  Finalists announced

Simple Rules

• Titles must be published from October 2008 to October 15, 2009
• Books must be published in English or bilingual with English
• Only one nomination per genre per person

Last year I had so much fun nominating children’s book titles for the Cybils, waiting anxiously for the shortlists and the final winners!  My book club read every title on the shortlist for fiction and non-fiction picture  books and graphic novels.  You can see last year’s shortlist and winners (pdf file).  I’m sure you’ll recognize a few of the titles.

How Am I Involved?

I debated all year whether or not I wanted to submit my name for consideration to be a panelist or judge.  It looked like so much fun!  I stalked the website until they announced that submissions were open.  And the best part – they took me!  (It’s like getting a little stamp of approval to tell you the truth).

I’m excited to let my readers know that I will be a round one panelist for the Fiction Picture Books category!  This means reading all the nominated picture book titles (last year there were about 150 nominated) and narrowing it down to a shortlist after which the judges will narrow it down to one single winner.  My boys and I are up for the task!  I will be updating every once in a while with my progress here and highlighting a few as well.

I’ll be serving with these fine folks:

Panel Organizer: Pam Coughlan, MotherReader

Panelists (Round I Judges):

Shelly Burns, Write for a Reader
Pam Coughlan (see panel organizer)
Katie Harvey, Katie’s Literature Lounge
Travis Jonker, 100 Scope Notes
Natasha Maw, Maw Books Blog

Round II Judges:

Amy, Big Brother is Reading
Andi (cloudscome), A Wrung Sponge
Lori Calabrese, Lori Calabrese Writes
Bethany Gatto, Your Friendly Neighborhood Librarian
Dawn Mooney, My Thoughts Exactly

Okay, so I’m totally anxious to see what everybody starts nominating.  So stop reading here.  And go over there!

Chicken Butt!

Maw Books:  Where in the world did you get the idea to write a book that’s well . . . mainly about a chicken butt?!

Erica Perl: I always thought the nonsequitur joke “You know what? Chicken Butt!” was funny, and I wanted to figure out a way to put it in a book.  Originally, I thought it could be a board book (with flaps) for hipster parents.  But then, when I worked on it, the voices of parent and child just came to me, and it became more of a book told from both a kid and a grown-up’s perspective.  I like writing books that both kids and parents can enjoy, so I was pleased at the direction this one took… it ended up feeling like the scene at our house!  Minus the chicken, that is… we don’t have one.

Maw Books:  Describe you new book in just one word.

Erica Perl: Cluck!

Maw Books:  Chicken Butt! is a great read-a-loud book.  It must be so much fun to do school visits and presentations.  What are some of your favorite experiences from sharing Chicken Butt! and your other books with young readers?

Erica Perl: I LOVE doing Chicken Butt! with school groups.  Basically, I divide the group in two and assign one group the role of “kid” and the other group the role of “grown-up”… they immediately start throwing themselves into it, hamming it up on both sides.  And without realizing it, they do all the reading… I’m just the conductor.  Also, I always pause between the page turns and ask kids to guess the rhymes.  I’ve gotten some great ones, like “chicken stew!” and “chicken hair!”  So we go over the concept of rhyming, which kids love to play with.  And then I always encourage everyone to read the “chicken” lines… everybody loves to read the “Chicken Butt! Chicken Butt!  Chicken Butt!” page together.

Maw Books:  I bet that gets really loud!  Could you talk with us a little about why books with a tempo/rhyme are excellent choices for young readers learning how to read.

Erica Perl: Rhyming books are great because kids can anticipate the rhyme, which helps emergent readers decode more easily.  And rhymes are fun – kids love to play with words and have more ease than grown-ups, who get caught up in what is a “real” word.  Also, I always talk to kids about meter, because I like to make the connection between rhyming verse and musical rhythm.  It’s important that the tempo of a piece is consistent (as you see in Dr. Seuss, for example) so the reader can really lose him or herself following the beat of the words.  This is one of the reasons I like to sing my book NINETY-THREE IN MY FAMILY with kids, and I always point them to the recording of the song, which can be found on my website: www.ericaperl.com (it is on the “and more” page).

Maw Books:  Did you test your book out on any young readers before submitting it for publication?  Do you have certain young reviewers in your life that you trust?

Erica Perl: I always read everything out loud, alone and to kids.  I trust my own kids, but I try to read to other kids as well… classmates and friends of my kids.  And I get kids to read stuff aloud, to see how they read it.  Always a lot of research before I take a book to the next step.

Maw Books:  Reading out loud definitely makes a difference.  And now you saw how I read it!  Have you had any feedback from parents, librarians, or booksellers expressing dissatisfaction with the subject matter of Chicken Butt! Personally, I thought it was cute when my three year old starting repeating the words chicken butt back to me and laughs real big at the monkey butt.  But I’m sure not all parents would say the same.

Erica Perl: So far, no complaints.  I too am waiting for it, but the teachers and parents I’ve met have been very positive about it.  One parent did tell me that her daughter was surprised that “the governor” would let me put “BUTT” on the cover of a book.  But no complaints from the authorities yet either!

Maw Books:  Phew!   So much of a picture books personality comes through its illustrations.  What is it like when you first saw your words put to the illustrations and are you happy with the way they turned out?

Erica Perl: Extremely happy.  I love Henry Cole and was thrilled with his illustrations.

Maw Books:  What is it with you and chickens anyways?!

Erica Perl: I’m not sure.  This is my second chicken book.  I guess I can’t run that fast… the chickens always catch me!

Maw Books:  Ha, ha!  One of my regular features in my author interviews is to ask for a recipe, either one featured in their book or a family favorite.  Later I make that recipe and blog about it.  I didn’t think Chicken Butt, gave me much to work with as far as recipes but then I saw your adorable Chicken Butt! cookies that you made on your blog. They are so cute!  Can you share the recipe with us?

Erica Perl: They are gingerbread cookies and I made a royal icing for them (egg whites, powdered sugar, lemon juice and a drop of glycerin, which you can buy in specialty stores, for shine).  They were yummy!

Maw Books:  What are some of the challenges and rewards of being a children’s picture book writer?

Erica Perl: I love writing my books and sharing them with kids!  The hard part is how long it takes for a book to come out… I’m impatient and it is hard to wait.  But worth it!

Maw Books:  What’s your earliest reading memory?  And a few picture books that you think nobody should miss?

Erica Perl: I have always loved books and my childhood favorites included SYLVESTER AND THE MAGIC PEBBLE and BREAD AND JAM FOR FRANCES.  I am currently doing a bunch of book events with Ayun Halliday, whose new book, ALWAYS LOTS OF HEINIES AT THE ZOO is terrific, so definitely check it out!

Maw Books:  I saw Always Lots of Heinies at the Zoo on display at a bookstore with your book!  Great idea to market them together!  If you could choose any illustrator, dead or alive, to illustrate your next book who would you choose and why?

Erica Perl: Perhaps James Marshall, who I love.  Or Simon James, or Emily Gravett (I’m partial to British illustrators, for some reason).  I also love Matt Phelan’s work.   And I’m very excited about JULIA DENOS, who is illustrating my next book, DOTTY!

Maw Books:  I love Matt Phelan!  What’s the last book you read, the book you’re reading now and a book that you are looking forward to reading?

Erica Perl: I just read KARATE PIG, which is an adorable board book, and THE GREAT PAPER CAPER, by Oliver Jeffers – fabulous.  I’m also reading THE GIRL WITH THE DRAGON TATTOO, which is NOT for children but is highly enjoyable if you are a grown up.

Maw Books:  Share with us what it was like to serve on the Cybils judging panel for picture books.

Erica Perl: It was so much fun and I was thrilled that Bob Graham’s HOW TO HEAL A BROKEN WING was our winner – what an amazing book!

Maw Books:  Going off of the Cybils question, what role/influence do you think book bloggers are playing in the book industry?

Erica Perl: Kidlit bloggers rule!  I always tell parents that this is THE place to discover great new (and old) books for kids!

Maw Books:  They do rule!  What do you enjoy to do outside the world of books?

Erica Perl: Cooking, running, going to the zoo and embarrassing my children.

Maw Books:  So what’s next?  What are working on right now?

Erica Perl: My first YA novel, VINTAGE VERONICA, comes out next spring from KNOPF!  Until then, I’m writing more picture books and shaking my CHICKEN BUTT! wherever they’ll have me.

Maw Books:  A YA novel!  How awesome.  I look forward to it.  Anything else that you’d like to add?

Erica Perl: You know what?…  Just kidding!

Maw Books:  Thanks Erica!

Erica Perl: Thank YOU!!!

Erica will be on tour the rest of the week at  Tales from the Rushmore Kid,  Motherreader, A Pen and a Nest, Hen Blog,  Fuse # 8,  Write for a Reader,  Chicken Spaghetti, and Three Silly Chicks.  Erica is celebrating with a  prize drawing of Chicken Butt! and other fun prizes.  To register for the prize drawings, all you have to do is visit any of the participating tour blogs during the week (including this one!) and then leave a comment on Erica’s blog.

Erica S. Perl’s website & blog.
Genre: Picture book, ages 2-8
Published: Abrams Books for Young Readers, April 2009
Hardcover, 32 pages. ISBN: 978-0810983250
Chicken Butt! is available from your independent bookstore, Powells and Amazon.

Emiko Superstar is all about coming of age and self-discovery.  Emi just isn’t happy with herself.  After being fired from her summer job working at a coffee shop, she’s now babysitting and in her words “What was about to be the crappiest summer – was flashing before my eyes.”  So even though her summer was “sucking the big one right now” it was really hard to complain because she got paid a lot and the baby was pretty cute.

Everything changes when she discovers an underground scene of performance artists known as The Freak Show.  She’s really hesitant to go and is so scared the first time she shows up that she literally runs away before she even reaches the door.  Everybody, is well, so strange.  So confident.  Not afraid to be themselves.  Total opposite of Emi.  Can Emi break through her hesitations and transform herself into somebody else?  And can she do it honestly and without hurting others along the way?  And in the end will it be worth it?

So the last lines of the book (yes! I’m giving you the very last lines) says:

It’s, you know, your kind of atypical summer adventure story.  It’s got a freak show, freaks performance art, a little larceny, a little family drama.  I guess it’s a story about love, although it’s difficult to say what love is in this story.  I guess it’s a story about how love isn’t always what it makes itself out to be, if that makes sense.  It’s a story about how true love is hard to find.  Mostly, it’s a story about me and how I became a Superstar, for a little while.  About meeting other Superstars.  Finding inspiration.  When I finish the story, this is where I’ll tell you to press “play” on your favorite song.  The song that makes you feel amazing and famous . . . even if you’re not.

If there is going to be more of Emi in any future books, I’ll definitely would love to hear the rest of her story.  I thought the story was really great, characters were all really interesting, and the illustrations were just how I like them in a graphic novel.  I’m surprised at how much I did enjoy this one.  For some reason, I didn’t think I would.  When I finished it, I don’t even think I would have said that.  But the more I look back on it, the more I like it.  And I say that probably because more than a month later, I can still remember most of Emiko Superstar pretty vividly.

Mariko Tamaki website and Steve Rolston website.

My three year old picked up this book a lot while I had it sitting around.  He liked the purple dinosaur and I think he may have even called him Barney.  But he’s not Barney, he’s Jellaby, a purple creature whom Portia has found out in the woods.  He’s lost and Portia takes him in.  It reminds me of Mary Had a Little Lamb because Jellaby follows Portia to school.   And she has a friend Jason who always wears orange (the only other color besides purple in the book).

So yeah.  It’s been at least a month since I read the book and to tell you the truth that’s about all I remember, so I’m not sure what that says.  I think young readers will probably like it.  My three year-old liked looking at the photos.

Chiggers is about a group of girls who go to summer camp.  It’s the same camp that Abby goes to every summer and she’s excited.  But her excitement ends when her friend Rose is to busy being a cabin assistant to hang out with her, her friends talk behind her back and everybody thinks that the cabinmate she gets along best with is annoying.  Throw in some lightening strikes, romantic love interest, and elfish daydreams and there you go.

Honestly, this graphic novel was confusing. I could not keep the characters straight and by the end of the book I still didn’t know who was talking (my children’s lit book club members all said the same thing).  I really didn’t care for the illustrations.  They would have been fine if only there wasn’t really ugly lines under all the characters eyes.  Case in point:  page 81 rhrough 85.  Yeah, I know they are supposed to be tired but still these panels ruined whatever redeeming qualities the other panels had.

I honestly don’t know what the appeal of Chiggers is to the actual intended audience, young adult girls, but this mama just didn’t get it.  And I even went to girl’s camp four years in a row as a teen.  What can I say, I just can’t like everything I read.

Hope Larson website.

Bonny is the author of The Christmas Crocodile (my book review), My Brother, The Robot (my book review), Holbrook: A Lizard’s Tale (my book review), Just a Minute, An Ant’s Day Off (my book review) and her newest A Visitor for Bear (my book review).  A Visitor for Bear was adorable and will easily be one of my favorite picture books this year.  A Visitor for Bear was also shortlisted for a Cybils award.  Needless to say, I’m excited to have Bonny with us today.  So let’s make her feel welcome . . .

Maw Book:  Welcome Bonny! You’re newest book A Visitor for Bear is receiving a lot of attention, selling well, receiving awards, and making short lists.  What are you thinking or feeling about reader reaction to A Visitor for Bear?

Bonny Becker: I’m thrilled! So many people have told me how “A Visitor for Bear” is their child’s favorite book or how their three-year-old will suddenly use a phrase from the books, exclaiming things like “Begone!” and “I am undone!” I mean, how cool is that? I have to admit, I really love the idea that this story is part of someone’s life. It’s an amazing feeling.

Maw Books:  What led you to write A Visitor for Bear instead of any of the other stories you could have written?

Bonny Becker: Stories have a certain “energy”. When I first started writing, I pretty much wrote or, at least, started writing most ideas that came to me. And then down the road I’d find out that there wasn’t enough there to keep me going. But I’m much better now at knowing the stories that have “something.” And I could just feel how fun this story would be to write.

Maw Books:  What’s your favorite scene that you wrote for the book?  Why?  And also, what is your favorite illustration as well?

Bonny Becker: I think my favorite scene is when Mouse wins Bear over as they sit having tea. It’s one of the last scenes I wrote as I struggled with how the dynamic would change between Mouse and Bear. I really like it because it ended up turning on Mouse just appreciating Bear—which is something I really believe in: that most of us thrive on simply being accepted and appreciated.

I’m not sure I can pick one favorite illustration. I love the spot illustration of Mouse peeking out from a bowl. I really like the ending illustration. All of Mouse’s reactions throughout make me smile. If I could pick one for my wall I realize I couldn’t decide on just one.

Maw Books:  Authors normally don’t give any input regarding the illustrations.  The illustrations for  A Visitor for Bear are WONDERFUL.  What was your reaction when you first saw the illustrations and what is your experience like to collaborate on picture books with an illustrator?

Bonny Becker: Kady MacDonald Denton is the illustrator and I was ecstatic when I saw her early sketches. I had no clear idea what Mouse and Bear looked like. I knew their personalities, but had no image in my head. Kady’s pictures were them! There they were on paper.

I always liken the author-illustrator relationship to that between the buyer and seller in a real estate deal. It all goes through an agent—in this case, the editor. At first it’s scary to give up any say-so in the illustrations. But, I’ve been lucky and had wonderful illustrators, including Kady, David Small, Jack E. Davis, and Nina Laden who did things I could never come up with.

I’m also really excited about the art in my new chapter book “The Magical Ms. Plum” that’s coming out this fall. The artist is Amy Portnoy. This is her first kid’s book, but she’s published some cartoons in The New Yorker and places like that. Her style is funny and warm.

Maw Books:  Holbrook, A Lizard’s Tale is about an artist who feels that he has something special inside of him, a way of seeing the world,  Holbrook hopes to find someone who will appreciate his artistic talent.  Is there a little bit of you inside of Holbrook?

Bonny Becker: Oh, yeah. Totally. I can’t remember when I didn’t want to be a writer. It goes way back and has been a major force in my life. But I do believe that everyone has that “big thing inside” (as Holbrook thinks of it.) And it expresses itself everywhere–skateboarding, cooking, engineering, science, being a good mother, knitting, custom cars, teaching–it’s everywhere! If you look around any room everything, everything is there because of human creativity.

Maw Books:  You grew up in a large family – I know how that goes, I have 3 brothers and 2 sisters myself – and you say that you have a lot of chaos in your life. Was any of that inspiration for both My Brother, the Robot and The Christmas Crocodile?

Bonny Becker: Absolutely. In fact, I worked the names of my brother and 4 sisters into “My Brother, the Robot.” I loved growing up in a big family. You have the same family size I did, but you had a nice even split of boys and girls. My family is still really close.

Maw Books:  Is there a particular book or scene that you feel most proud of?  And why?

Bonny Becker: That’s a tough question. I’m really proud of “A Visitor for Bear” and feel really good about the upcoming “The Magical Ms. Plum.” I think because both feel like I got it right. They’re not necessarily perfect. But I like the way each makes me feel. I hope I captured a kind of emotional experience that I really wanted to capture.

Maw Books:  If you could go back to the very beginning, would you change anything about the way you write?  Would you change anything in any of your books?

Bonny Becker: If I could go back, it would be nice if I knew then what I know now. In other words, I’d be more skilled and have a clearer sense of the kind of things I wanted to write. But I don’t think there’s any way I could have had a short cut to that. Having more confidence—that would have been good. I would tell my younger writing self not to worry so much. But my younger self would probably ignore me.

Maw Books:  What motivates you to write for children and young readers?

Bonny Becker: Reading as a kid was some of the most meaningful reading of my life—getting totally lost in Narnia and Oz and Number Seventeen Cherry Tree Lane. I really want to recreate that enchantment for myself and for my readers.

Maw Books:  What are some of your favorite experiences so far from book signings, school visits, interviews, and other promotional activities for your books?  Are there any particular moments that stand out to you that make it all worth it?

Bonny Becker: Well, one of the funniest moments was at a reading for “A Visitor for Bear.” A boy, maybe three or four, couldn’t wait to tell me something, but his mom made him wait patiently until I’d finished. At last it was his turn. He stood up, walked right up to me and announced in the loudest possible voice, “Today, I pooped in the potty!” He was enormously satisfied with himself. No buried potty training trauma for that kid!

A really meaningful moment, was at a school visit where a girl came up and told me that her brother had read “Holbrook: A Lizard’s Tale” and had decided to become an artist. Wow! You can’t have a bigger impact than that!

Maw Books:  I’m in the midst of potty training right now!  Ugh.  What are the challenges of being a children’s book writer?  Particularly in a time, when publishers aren’t doing very well in this economic climate?

Bonny Becker: It’s hard to find that line between being a commercial success and writing meaningful stories. Kids publishing has become a business that is so much more than writing a good book. I’m sure there’s always been that element, but now it’s huge.

I can’t decide how much time and energy and resources to spend on marketing versus what I put into my writing. You can’t just write your book and then sit around waiting for the world to come to your door. And, you really have no business complaining if they don’t. But I also see marketing and promotional efforts that, at least for me, would suck up all my time and energy! So I’m struggling to find that balance. And this is true for all the writers I know.

Maw Books:  Do you keep up with the blogs of the kidlitosphere?  Which do you read regularly? Have you considered starting your own blog?

Bonny Becker: I check in most days. Among others, I read Fuse 8, BookMoot, Bookshelves of Doom, Chicken Spaghetti, Educating Alice, Jen Robinson’s Book Page, laurasalas, Mother Reader, Oz and Ends, Read Roger and Seven Impossible Things before Breakfast.

Starting my own blog is something I think about all the time. It’s part of that “write my books” “market my books” dilemma.

Maw Books:  All right!  I had all but one of those blogs in my reader!  Great blogs!  What were you like as a young reader?  And what are you reading now?

Bonny Becker: Voracious and enthralled. I just finished Neil Gaiman’s “A Graveyard Book” which I enjoyed immensely. I’ve also started in on re-reading a lot of fantasy—from the Narnia books to “Jonathan Strange and Mr. Norrell” by Susanna Clarke, because I’m going to teach a class on fantasy next fall.

Maw Books:  What is your favorite word?

Bonny Becker: Noooooo. That’s like asking which eyeball do I want to live without. I can’t do it.

Maw Books:  And conversely, what is a word you hate?

Bonny Becker:  Utilize. (“Use” works just fine!)

Pus (shudder)

Maw Books:  Eeww.  Pus I agree with.  What’s the best writing advice that you have ever received?  And what’s the best writing advice that you could give?

Bonny Becker: Received: “If you’re easily discouraged, you should be.”

Given: “All you need to do, all you can do is simply the next draft.”

Maw Books:  This is a question that I ask of every single author I review and that is to share with us a recipe, either one that appears in their books or a personal favorite.  I later try to make the recipe and blog about it.  Is there a particular recipe that you would like to share with us?

Bonny Becker: This is a cookie recipe I make every Christmas with my daughters:

Chocolate Mocha Pecan Balls

Ingredients
2 sticks (1 cup) butter, softened
½ cup granulated white sugar
2 teaspoons vanilla
1 tablespoon instant espresso powder
¼ cup unsweetened cocoa powder
¾ teaspoon salt
1 ¾ cups all-purpose flour
2 cups finely chopped pecans
Confectioners’ (powdered) sugar for coating the cookies

Directions

In a bowl with an electric mixer, cream the butter with the granulated sugar until the mixture is light and fluffy. Add the vanilla, the espresso powder, the cocoa powder and the salt. Beat mixture until it is well combined.

Add the flour. Beat the dough until it is just combined and beat in pecans. Chill the dough, covered, for at least 2 hours or overnight.

Preheat the oven to 350°. Roll the dough into 1-inch balls and arrange the balls about 1 inch apart on baking sheets. Bake the cookies in batches in the middle of the oven for about 12 to 15 minutes or until they are just firm and let them cool for 5 minutes on the sheets.

Toss the warm cookies in batches in a bowl of the confectioners’ sugar to coat them well. The cookies may be made 2 months in advance and kept frozen in airtight containers. Makes about 95 cookies.

Maw Books:  Delicious!  I can’t wait to try them!  Tell us about A Birthday for Bear and A Bedtime for Bear (I believe there is yet a third?)  What do you love so much about mouse and bear to continue on with the series and when can we expect to see them in stores?

Bonny Becker: In “A Birthday for Bear” Bear is his fastidious, grumpy self on his birthday—even denying that it is his birthday. Mouse disguises himself as various deliverymen, etc. trying to get Bear to admit it’s his birthday and enjoy the day.

In “A Bedtime for Bear”, Bear has Mouse over for Bear’s first ever sleep over. But in order to sleep, Bear does need quiet, absolute quiet. To Bear’s great frustration and growing annoyance, Mouse is not as quiet as a… well, you know.

“Birthday” will be out this fall in the form of an early reader. “Bedtime” will come out in 2010 as a picture book and then will come out in an early reader format. Candlewick is interested in developing a picture book and an early reader line for these characters.

Kady is illustrating the upcoming books and is doing another incredible job.

Maw Books:  Tell us about The Magical Ms. Plum?  What is it about and when can we expect to find that out as well?

Bonny Becker: “The Magical Ms. Plum” is a middle-grade chapter book about a teacher with a magical classroom—more specifically a classroom with a magic supply closet. Any kid who goes in there to get something for Ms. Plum ends up finding a magical, miniature animal and has an adventure. It’s episodic—each chapter features a different child, a different animal and a different experience. Ms. Plum and her classroom are exactly the kind of thing I would have loved to happen as a kid. Magic! Magic! Magic! That’s what I wanted more than anything in the third and fourth grades.

Maw Books:  What are you working on now?  And what are your continued goals and aspirations for the future?

Bonny Becker: I’m working on an older age novel—say 10 to 14 year olds. And it too is about magic.

Maw Books:  Wonderful!  Thank you so much Bonny for being with us today!  And I wish you much success.  Needless to say, I can’t wait until Birthday for Bear and your other books!

Bonny Becker website .  Thanks again to Bonny Becker for appearing, courtesy of Provato Marketing, for other stops on the tour please check www.provatoevents.com.

No one ever comes to Bear’s house.  And he quite likes it that way.  He doesn’t like visitors and to make sure that it stays that way he has a big “No Visitors Allowed” sign on his door.  One morning, he hears a tap on his front door.  When he opens the door there was a small, gray, bright-eyed mouse.  “Go away,” says the bear and goes back to making his breakfast.  But the mouse keeps popping up in the most unexpected places.  When he first finds the mouse in the cupboard, he asks for a spot of tea.  “Out” commands the bear and shows him the door.  And again and again and again.  The mouse finds his way back in the house and each time the bear shows him the door.  Bear boards up the windows, stops up the chimney and even plugs the drain in the bathtub.  But there’s the mouse!  Will he ever be able to get rid of him?  And will he regret it if he does?

So delightful.  A perfect book to read-a-loud.  Young ones will love to find the mouse as he manages his way back into the house.  A beautiful story about friendship.  And the illustrations.  The illustrations!  Kady MacDonald Denton has created the cutest book with soft colors done in watercolor, ink, and qouache.  There are several more Bear and Mouse books in the works and that’s a good thing because you won’t be able to get enough of them.  A Visitor for Bear was nominated for a Cybils award and at our recent Children’s Literature Book Club meeting where we discussed all the nominated books, this book was everybody’s clear favorite.

Loved it!  And guess what?  Tomorrow is an interview with Bonny Becker!  So excited!  This book is one of my favorite picture books this past year, so it’s fun to talk with Bonny.  I can’t wait to share it with you.

Bonny Becker website and Kady MacDonald Denton website.  Bonny is also the author of  The Christmas Crocodile (my book review), My Brother, The Robot (my book review), Holbrook: A Lizard’s Tale (my book review), Just a Minute, An Ant’s Day Off (my book review).

Seriously.  Somebody tell me that they don’t like this book.  Because I don’t think you would dare.

This month in review post is pretty lengthy but it’s easy to read so skim to whatever catches your attention.  Here’s a recap of what happened this past month here at the Maw Books Blog:

Books Reviewed in February

Fiction

• Everyone is Beautiful by Katherine Center
• Matrimony by Joshua Henkin
• The Only True Genius in the Family by Jennie Nash
• Plain Truth by Jodi Picoult
• Ruby Among Us by Tina Ann Forkner

Young Adult Fiction

• Letters from a Slave Girl: The Story of Harriet Jacobs by Mary E. Lyons
• The Way He Lived by Emily Wing Smith
• The Slave Dancer by Paula Fox
• Nightjohn by Gary Paulsen
  

Middle Readers

• The Year the Swallows Came Early by Kathryn Fitzmaurice
• The Graveyard Book by Neil Gaiman
• The Well by Mildred D. Taylor

Picture Books

• Ella the Elegant Elephant by Carmela and Steve D’Amico
• Ella Sets the Stage by Carmela and Steve D’Amico
• Ella Takes the Cake by Carmela and Steve D’Amico
• Ella Sets Sail by Carmela and Steve D’Amico
• Baseball Saved Us by Ken Mochizuki, illustrated by Dom Lee
• Passage to Freedom by Ken Mochiuki, illustrated by Dom Lee (narrative biography)
• Henry’s Freedom Box: A True Story from the Underground Railroad by Ellen Levine, illustrated by Kadir Nelson
• Moses:  When Harriet Tubman Led Her People to Freedom by Carole Boston Weatherford, illustrated by Kadir Nelson
• The Story of Ruby Bridges by Robert Cole, illustrated by George Ford
• Consider Love, Its Moods and Many Ways by Sandra Boynton
• Barack Obama: Son of Promise, Child of Hope by Nikki Grime, illustrated by Bryan Collier
• Show Way by Jacqueline Woodson, illustrated by Hudson Talbott
  

Non-Fiction

• Be Water, My Friend: The Early Years of Bruce Lee by Ken Mochizuki, illustrated by Dom Lee (picture book)
• The Voice that Challenged a Nation: Marian Anderson and the Struggle for Equal Rights by Russel Freedman (Juvenile)
• Frogs by Nic Bishop (Juvenile)
• Through My Eyes by Ruby Bridges (Juvenile)
• Freedom Walkers, The Story of the Montgomery Bus Boycott by Russell Freedman (Juvenile)
• An Exact Replica of a Figment of My Imagination by Elizabeth McCracken (Memoir)
• Surviving Ben’s Suicide, A Woman’s Journey of Self Discovery by C. Comfort Shields (Memoir)

Author Interviews

• Carmela and Steve D’Amico, authors of the Ella the Elephant series
• Ken Mochizuki, children’s and young adult author
• Kathryn Fitzmaurice, author of The Year the Swallows Came Early
• Katherine Center, author of Everyone is Beautiful
• Joshua Henkin, author of Matrimony
• Jennie Nash, author of The Only True Genius in the Family
• Tina Ann Forkner, author of Ruby Among Us
  

Reader Spotlights

• Jeanette from A Comfy Chair and a Good Book

Video Chats

• A Few Favorite Children’s Books and a Reading From My Little Boy

Book Lists

• The 2009 Cybils Award Winners and Finalists
• New York Times Bestsellers – February 15th
• New York Times Bestsellers – February 8th
• New York Times Bestsellers – February 1st

More Posts During January

• Thank You to My February Visitors – Let’s Spotlight a Few!
• What is the Most Horrific Way You’ve Ruined a Book?
• Discussion Question: Does an Author’s Personal Belief System Impact If or How You Support Them?
• Reading/Blogging Review for January

Flashback:  The Maw Books Blog a Year Ago

I thought it would be fun to see what was going on a year ago.  Last February I received the amount of traffic all month in what I now have in just a single day.  A 30x improvement.  So exciting to see the changes!

Books I reviewed a year ago February:  Jasmine by Bharati Mukherjee, Austenland by Shannon Hale, The Memory Keeper’s Daughter by Kim Edwards, Nineteen Minutes by Jodi Picoult, The No. 1 Ladies’ Detective Agency byAlexander McCall Smith, Hattie Big Sky by Kirby Larson, The Absolutely True Diary of a Part-Time Indian by Sherman Alexie, Feathers by Jacqueline Woodson, The Breadwinner by Deborah Ellis, The Devil’s Arithmetic by Jane Yolen, Mr. Popper’s Penguins by Richard and Florence Atwater, and Eat Pray Love by Elizabeth Gilbert.  I continually get comments on Eat Pray Love and it’s in my top ten commented posts of all time.

Looking Ahead to March

• Upcoming Reviews.  I still managed to read (don’t ask me how I did) a few books in February that I’ll be reviewing this upcoming march.  Watch for book reviews of Fade by Lisa McMann, The Hunger Games by Suzanne Collins, Wintergirls by Laurie Halse Anderson, The 13th Reality:  The Hunt for Dark Infinity by James Dashner, Emiko Superstar by Mariko Tamaki and Steve Roltson, Chiggers by Hope Larson, Jellaby by Kean Soo, There’s a Wolf at the Door: Five Classic Tales written by Zoe Alley (these last four all Cybils nominated graphic novels).  Of course, reviews of whatever I manage to read this month as well, I have a huge pile left over from February.

• Upcoming Author Interviews. First up this week on the 2nd and 3rd are book reviews and an author interview with children’s author Bonny Becker.  Also, watch for an interview with Mary Nethery, children’s author, on the 4th.  It’s my privilege to be hosting Linda Aksomitis on the 19th with a review and interview for her new middle grade novel Longhorns and Outlaws.  I think that’s it but who knows what may pop up!

• Author Events and Book Signings.  Laurie Halse Anderson is coming to the Kings English Bookshop here in SLC  to promote her new book Wintergirls (which I’ve read so watch for a review soon).  I’d like to read Twisted and Fever 1793 before I go to her reading and book signing just so I can say I’ve read all of her books.  Watch for a post about her visit.  Plus, I’ll also be going to a reading and signing for Jodi Picoult who will be at the King’s English as well.  Can’t wait for both!!

• Features. Plan to have at least two more video chats and 4-6 reader spotlights.  I’ve got some great discussion posts in the works as well.  And I’ve made a yummy author recipe that I’d love to share with you.

Hmm . . . .wondering what will be left behind.  I can’t possible get to it all.

Challenge Updates

Three reading challenges finished up this month.  First up was Books for the Heart Challenge hosted by Michelle at 1 More Chapter.  The goal was to sponsor your reading and donate a certain amount of money for every book you read or pages read to the American Heart Association.  I’ve decided that I’m going to donate .50 cents a review which will come to $15. Thanks Michelle for this opportunity!

Hosted by 3 M at 1morechapter, the 1% Well Read Challenge ended this month.  The goal was to read 10 books in 10 months from the 1001 Books You Must Read Before You Die list.  As you can see I failed miserably at only two books read.  Oh well.  I still want to read them all.  My list was:

• Never Let Me Go by Kazuo Ishiguro
• Saturday by Ian McEwan
• Middlesex by Jeffrey Eugenides
• Atonement by Ian McEwan
• The Stone Diaries by Carol Shields
• I Know Why the Caged Bird Sings by Maya Angelou
• One Hundred Years of Solitude by Gabriel García Márquez
• To Kill a Mockingbird by Harper Lee
• If This Is a Man by Primo Levi
• Anna Karenina by Leo Tolstoy

The Lit Flicks Challenge hosted by Jessica of Bluestocking Society ended this month as well.   The movie adaptations that I watched were Of Mice and Men, To Kill a Mockingbird, The Witches, and Sarah Plain and Tall.  While not based specifically on the books, Through My Eyes by Ruby Bridges and The Story of Ruby Bridges by Robert Coles but rather her life story I also watched Disney’s Ruby Bridges.  Thanks Jessica for hosting such a fun challenge!  The books I read between September and February that have been made into movies (and a few which are in production) were:

• Nightjohn by Gary Paulsen
• The Lightening Thief by Rick Riordan
• Fantastic Mr. Fox by Roald Dahl
• Sarah Plain and Tall by Patricia MacLachlan
• Plain Truth by Jodi Picoult
• Of Mice and Men by John Steinbeck
• A Tree Grows In Brooklyn by Betty Smith
• To Kill a Mockingbird by Harper Lee
• Balzac and the Little Chinese Seamstress by Dai Siji
• Bridge to Terabithia by Katherine Paterson
• How to Eat Fried Worms by Thomas Rockwell
• The Witches by Roald Dahl
• The Halloween Tree by Ray Bradbury
• A Wrinkle in Time by Madeleine L’Engle

I did read a lot of books that qualify for the  other reading challenges I’m participating in.  They are (click to be taken to my list and then to be taken to challenge blog):

• A-Z Author & Title Challenge
• Dewey’s Books Reading Challenge
• Jewish Literature Challenge
• New Author Challenge
• Read Your Own Books Challenge
• Support Your Local Library Challenge
• Themed Reading Challenge
• War Through the Generations Challenge

Awards

Molly from My Cozy Book Nook gave me the Fabulous Blog Award.  She listed a lot of blogs that were MUST reads and I was humbled to be among them.  Thanks Molly!

Lynn at Chronicle of an Infant Bibliophile shared the Kreative Blogger award.  Thanks Lynn!  Lynn is here in Salt Lake City too and has a great blog where she shares the books that she reads with her 15 month old son.

Mari at MariReads shared the Premios Dardo Award which acknowledges the values that every blogger shows in his/her effort to transmit cultural, ethical, literary and personal values every day.  Thanks Mari for thinking I share those values!

Kristina at Kristina Favorites shared this sweet award which describes itself as “These blogs are exceedingly charming. These kind bloggers aim to find and be friends. They are not interested in self-aggrandizement. Our hope is that when the ribbons of these prizes are cut, even more friendships are propagated.”  Even though Kristina knows that I have a really, really bad habit of not passing awards along, that she thought of me.  Thanks Kristina!

Carnivals

Lots of carnivals going on this month!  Lots of book reviews all in one place.  I highly recommend checking them all out!

• Heather from Age 30+ is hosting the current Book Review Blog Carnival.  I totally forgot to submit something this time around (story of my life) but I did manage to submit to the 11th Edition of the Book Review Blog  Carnival which was hosted by Nicole at Linus’s Blanket with  my book review of The Only True Genius in the Family, by Jennie Nash.

• Jessica at Bluestocking Society is hosting the 23rd Edition of the Bookworms Carnival which focuses on books being made into movies.  I submitted two reviews of books that are currently in production and I’m excited to see them being made into movies:  What is the What by Dave Eggers and The Devil Came on Horseback:  Bearing Witness to the Genocide in Darfur by Brian Steidle and Gretchen Wallace Steidle.

• Tracy at Bookroom Reviews is currently hosting the Book Giveaway Carnival from March 2nd-8th.  Head on over to see what fun prizes lots of book bloggers will be giving away.

• The February Edition of the Carnival of Children’s Literature is hosted by Lynn at Imaginary Blog.  Another carnival that I always forget to post reviews too but I love seeing what’s been gathered.

Other Items of Note

• Black History Month. You may have noticed that I celebrated Black History Month by reviewing 12 books that celebrate the history of blacks in the United States.  While the posts didn’t seem popular or generate a lot of comments, I enjoyed doing them and plan on doing the same thing next year.  I read some amazing books! It was great to have a theme for the month.  Check out all my reviews tagged Black History to explore those reviews.

• My favorite posts this month? Hmm . . .  that’s a really hard one.  My favorites this month were probably all of my author interviews because I put so much time into the research and questions.  It also helps that the authors all gave such great answers!  Certainly my two most commented posts this month were the horrific ways we’ve ruined books and how an author’s belief system impacts whether or not we’ll support them.  My video chat this month was a favorite of mine.  I’ve probably watched that video 20 times because I just can’t get over how darn cute I think my own child  is.

• Book Giveaways. I gave away a fair amount of books this month!  To cut down on the number of times I have to post I’ve started to announce the winners in the comment threads of the giveaway posts but wanted to highlight them at the end of the month here.  Kim at Good Clean Reads won a ARC of Everyone is Beautiful by Katherine Center,  Sandy from You’ve Gotta Read This! won a signed copy of Matrimony by Joshua Henkin, Hannah at Word Lily won a signed copy of The Only True Genius in the Family by Jennie Nash, Amber S. won a copy of Ruby Among Us by Tina Ann Forkner.  Congrats everybody!

• Directories. As you can tell from my sidebar there are a lot of great book blog directories to discover your favorite book blogs.  The newest that I wanted to highlight is the new amazing website called Kidlitosphere Central which is the brain child of Pam at MotherReader.  Did I ever mention that I feel like Pam is a celebrity?  She’s the glue that practically holds the Kidlitosphere together.  The new website describes itself as “The “KidLitosphere” is a community of reviewers, librarians, teachers, authors, illustrators, publishers, parents, and other book enthusiasts who blog about children’s and young adult literature. In writing about books for children and teens, we’ve connected with others who share our love of books. With this website, we hope to spread the wealth of our reading and writing experience more broadly.”  I’m in love with the place.  Go check it out.

• Milestones:  10,000 comment and 500th post! I hit some major milestones this month!  I wrote my 500th post (interview with Carmela and Steve D’Amico)  and when I noticed that I was coming up on my 10,000 comment I twittered that I would give a book to my 10,000 commenter from anything in my giveaway pile.  Deborah from Books, Movies, and Chinese Food picked up a hardcover of Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix for hitting the lucky number!  Thank you so much for making this whole blog thing worth it!  I get a thrill with every comment that comes in.  Here’s to another 10,000 comments and to another 500 posts!

• My blog was hacked into not once but twice this month! So thank you to all of you who bore with me while we fixed things.  Basically, they accessed my ht access file and rewrote it to redirect all traffic coming from  major search engines to another site.  What a pain in the butt to fix it and then have them do it again.  If you ever think anything is funny don’t hesitate to let me know so I can take care of it.

• Not subscribed yet to the Maw Books Blog? As you can see from this recap, there is always something going on.  Don’t miss any of it by receiving updates via email or through your favorite reader. Can’t get enough?  Follow me on Twitter.

Phew!  Did you make it?  Or are you passed out on information overload?  Thanks for a great month (and I said I was going to relax this year!)

The winners and finalists as they were announced this morning on the Cybils blog (links will take you to book reviews found on the Maw Books Blog):

Fantasy and Science Fiction

Teen/Young Adult

• The Hunger Games by Suzanne Collins
• Airman by Eoin Colfer
• The Explosionist by Jenny Davidson
• Graceling by Kristin Cashore
• Wake by Lisa McMann

Elementary/Middle Grade

• The Graveyard Book by Neil Gaiman
• Cabinet of Wonders by Marie Rutkoski
• Lamplighter by D. M. Cornish
• The Magic Thief by Sarah Prineas
• Savvy by Ingrid Law

Graphic Novels

Teen/Young Adult

• Emiko Superstar written by Mariko Tamaki; illustrated by Steve Ralston
• Kin: Good Neighbors, Book 1 written by Holly Black; illustrated by Ted Naifeh
• Life Sucks written by Jessica Abel and Gabe Soria, illustrated by Warren Pleese
• Skim written and illustrated by Mariko Tamaki and Jillian Tamaki
• Three Shadows written and illustrated by Cyril Pedrosa

Elementary/Middle Grade

• Rapunzel’s Revenge written by Shannon and Dean Hale; illustrated by Nathan Hale
• Chiggers written and illustrated by Hope Larson
• Into the Volcano written and illustrated by Don Wood
• Jellaby, vol. 1 written and illustrated by Kean Soo
• The Savage written by David Almond; illustrated by Dave McKean
• There’s a Wolf at the Door: Five Classic Tales written by Zoe Alley; illustrated by R.W. Alley

Non-fiction

Middle Grade and YA

• The Year We Disappeared: A Father- Daughter Memoir written by Cylin Busby and John Busby
• 11 Planets: A New View of the Solar System written by David Aguilar
• Ain’t Nothing but a Man: My Quest to Find the Real John Henry written by Scott Reynolds Nelson
• Body Drama: Real Girls, Real Bodies, Real Issues, Real Answers written by Nancy Amanda Redd
• King George: What Was His Problem?: Everything Your Schoolbooks Didn’t Tell You About the American Revolution written by Steve Sheinkin
• Lincoln Through the Lens written by Martin Sandler
• Swords: An Artist’s Devotion written and illustrated by Ben Boos
• We Are the Ship: The Story of the Negro League Baseball written and illustrated by Kadir Nelson

Picture Books

• Nic Bishop Frogs written and illustrated by Nic Bishop
• A River of Words: The Story of William Carlos Williams written by Jen Bryant; illustrated by Melissa Sweet
• Astronaut Handbook written and illustrated by Meghan McCarthy
• Duel! Burr and Hamilton’s Deadly War of Words written by Dennis Brindell Fradin; illustrated by Larry Day
• Fabulous Fishes written and illustrated by Susan Stockdale
• Wanda Gag: 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

Fiction

Young Adult Fiction

• The Disreputable History of Frankie Landau-Banks by E. Lockhart
• Audrey, Wait! by Robin Benway
• I Know It’s Over by C. K. Kelly Martin
• Jellicoe Road by Melina Marchetta
• Sweethearts by Sara Zarr
• Ten Cents a Dance by Christine Fletcher
• Thaw by Monica Roe

Middle Grade

• The London Eye Mystery by Siobhan Dowd
• Alvin Ho by Lenore Look
• Diamond Willow by Helen Frost
• Every Soul a Star by Wendy Mass
• Shooting the Moon by Frances O’Roark Dowell

Easy Readers

• I Love My New Toy by Mo Willems
• Houndsley and Catina and the Quiet Time by James Howe
• I Will Surprise My Friend! by Mo Willems
• Maybelle Goes to Tea by Katie Speck
• Mercy Watson Thinks Like a Pig by Kate Dicamillo

Picture Books

• How to Heal a Broken Wing written and illustrated by Bob Graham
• Abe Lincoln Crosses A Creek: A Tall Thin Tale (Introducing His Forgotten Frontier Friend) written by Deborah Hopkinson; illustrated by John Hendrix
• The Big Bad Bunny written by Franny Billingsley; illustrated by G. Brian Karas
• Chester’s Back written and illustrated by Melanie Watts
• Katie Loves the Kitttens written and illustrated by John Himmelman
• The Sea Serpent and Me written by Dashka Slater; illustrated by Catia Chien
• A Visitor for Bear written by Bonny Becker; illustrated by Kady Denton [Watch for a Maw Books interview with Bonny Becky later this month!]
• Wabi Sabi written by Mark Reibstein; illustrated by Ed Young

Poetry

• Honeybee by Naomi Shihab Nye
• America at War illustrated by Stephen Alcorn; edited by Lee Bennett Hopkins
• Imaginary Menagerie: A Book of Curious Creatures written by Julie Larios; illustrated by Julie Paschkis
• More than Friends: Poems from Him and Her written by Sara Holbrook and Allan Wolf
• On the Farm written by David Elliott and Holly Meade

Watch for a whole slew of Cybils book reviews this next month!  If I was more on top of it, I would have had them beforehand.  But this month is crazy!  My Children’s Literature Book Club is meeting this month to discuss the books nominated in the picture book s and graphic novels!  That’s a lot of books.  I’ve already read most of them.  Some I’ll review, others I won’t.

I have The Hunger Games literally on my bookshelf, right next to me.  I was planning on reading it this week. The same goes for Emiko Superstar.  I’ve reviewed The Graveyard Book, The Disreputable History of Frankie Landau Banks, and Rapunzel’s Revenge.  I seriously have a draft of How to Heal a Broken Wing which isn’t ready to publish.  I was going to save it for March.  I was also saving Nic Bishops Frogs for next month too, but that draft is already finished and waiting.  So I’ll go ahead and publish it right now.

Which books have you read?  Any favorites?

I had no idea that there were frogs (Ha! I just wrote blogs and had to go back and change it) called glass frogs that have skin that you can see through.  You can see all of their insides.  Or that there are frogs who dig themselves up to two feet in the dirt and can stay there for weeks until it rains.  There are also frogs that go through winter by actually becoming partially frozen and then they thaw out.  Other frogs can jump from tree and tree and actually glide for up to fifty feet.

Lots of fun facts and lots of amazing photos.  They are huge, they are bright, and I couldn’t believe some of the frogs that Nic Bishop was able to catch on camera.  What a fun, informative book.  If you have somebody in the family fascinated with frogs, this would be the perfect book for them.

Nic Bishop website.