Bewitched

Bewitched
By Dede Fox

No evil fairy heaped curses upon
this charmed child with hair like swirled
honey, chocolate brown eyes, creamy
skin sweet with kisses. Laughter bubbled
from her, sweet grandchild, long awaited.

Grandmother, overjoyed, wove
dresses from the finest flax, combed
wool for the softest blankets, knit
tiny sweaters until her fingers bled.
Gnarled walking cane in hand, she hobbled
long miles, presented her gifts to the royal family.

Ladies-in-Waiting recoiled at the pungent
odor of the salve spread on Grandmother’s aching
limbs, covered their noses with lace handkerchiefs
while children hid behind their skirts, pointed and
jeered at Grandmother’s simple clothes and manners.
Blushing, her princess daughter turned away,
distracted the court with the antics of her baby.

Grandmother limped home. Soon twisted
vines tightened over her cottage, so far from the palace.
The old woman no longer threw open shutters, lost
hope of seeing her daughter or granddaughter travel
down the slow path in her dark woods.

The curse was on her, Grandmother gifted
with a precious child she could neither see nor hear
nor smell nor hold close.

Anger fueled Grandmother’s stone oven,
with a fire so intense that it baked her into a wrinkled
old crone who hacked away entanglements.

She covered her cottage with sweets--
honey swirls, chocolate kisses, creamy caramels--
waited to lure small strangers inside, ones so delicious
that she could keep them caged, fatten them,
and eat them up.

Amazon Sold More e-Books at Christmas!

Nancy Feresten, Editor-in-Chief of National Geographic Children’s Books, reported that Amazon sold more e-books than regular books during Christmas, 2009. On February 20th, she shared the following information at the annual conference of Houston’s Society of Children’s Book Writers and Illustrators:

The most popular ways to read e-books are:
Desktop
Laptop
e-Reader
Netbook
Mobile phone or PDA

What is a book?
A book is a story or cache of information comprised of written words and /or pictures, with a clear and intentional organization.

Advantages of digital books include:
They can be any length.
They take little space.
They can be linked to other information.
They are multimedia.
They are searchable.

Disadvantages are:
They require electricity.
Devices are expensive.
The format is rigid.
The technology is immature.
The business model is unclear.

Advantages of print books include:
They are portable.
They are durable.
They are collectible.
They are inexpensive.
They can be shared.
They are familiar.
They can be recycled.

Disadvantages of print books are:
They have a limited format.
They take up space.
They have a fixed print size.
They are environmentally unsound.

Feresten predicts a future where students will carry e-readers that will include beautiful illustrations, links, and audio capabilities so that readers can click on unfamiliar words to have them pronounced and defined. Teachers will be able to individualize texts to accommodate student needs. Families will go to libraries to see print-on-demand versions of books that can be downloaded to their e-readers.

Nancy Feresten believes it will be up to writers to create the future by using new technology to tell stories in the best possible way.

As a librarian and a writer, I’ll always enjoy pulling my grandchildren onto my lap to share print copies of picture books, but I also love my daughter’s Kindle. And who wouldn’t want to see those heavy textbooks give way to e-readers? One thing is for sure--it’s an exciting time to be a reader!

Kids Value Intelligence More Than Popularity

On February 20th Nancy Feresten, Editor-in-Chief of National Geographic’s Children’s Books, spoke to Houston’s Society of Children’s Book Writers and Illustrators. She reported the following research from the Kaiser Family Foundation:

Kids between the ages of eight and eighteen spend an average of 7.5 hours daily with media. They watch TV for around 4 ½ hours daily. Music and audio make up around 2 hours. Around 38 minutes outside of school are spent with print media (books, magazines, comics).

47 % are readers. Those kids read 54 minutes a day with the amount of time spent reading books on the increase. Girls spend 50% more time reading than boys. Heavy TV watchers don’t always read less.

National Geographic Kids had 400 children critique the magazine. They learned that non-fiction readers want facts, photos, and unexpected stories based on reality. They also want to laugh and have fun.

Studies show that students today value being smart over being popular, a change from the past.

Animoto.com

Glogster

What is it about Leigh Botts?

Leigh Botts in Beverly Cleary's Dear Mr. Henshaw gets to me every time I read that book. He is just so real that I want to give him a big hug and tell him that everything will be okay--even though his parents are divorced and his dad, a long distance trucker, travels all the time, even though his dad took Leigh's dog Bandit along for the ride, even though he has no friends, and even though every time he has something delicious to eat, his lunch is stolen at school. How does the author create such a vivid character in a Newbery award-winning novel that is simply a series of letters and journal entries? Read it to find out! And while you're at it, don't forget to check out the Ramona Quimby series or Runaway Ralph, a motorcycle driving rodent.

Debut Novel-The Year the Swallows Came Early

Can you imagine walking down the street with your dad and seeing him arrested right in front of you? That's what happens to Eleanor "Groovy" Robinson, the protagonist of this novel. We follow the action as her perfect life in a "perfect stucco house, just off the sparkly Pacific" crashes around her. When she learns why her father is in jail, she faces new disappointments and challenges. Can she learn to forgive him for what he's done? Will they ever be a family again? Read The Year the Swallows Came Early to find out!

This is a "debut" novel (first novel) for Kathryn Fitzmaurice. I look forward to reading more from her because she uses unusual imagery and beautiful language. Here's an example from the first page:

"...our house was like one of those See's candies with beautiful swirled chocolate on the outside, but sometimes hiding coconut flakes on the inside, all gritty and hard, like undercooked white rice."

When you read it, please comment here or review it in Destiny Quest. Happy Reading!