There’s a provocative new comment over on Yolanda Hare’s “Beyond the Friends.” It has me wondering if the CSK awards ever suffer from Newberyitis, where some kids see the sticker and think, “oh, this is one of those books that’s supposed to be good for you.” Because light escapist fare they ain’t. (Nor are they [...]
About Roger Sutton
Roger Sutton has been the editor in chief of The Horn Book, Inc, since 1996. He was previously editor of The Bulletin of the Center for Children's Books and a children's and young adult librarian. He received his M.A. in library science from the University of Chicago in 1982 and a B.A. from Pitzer College in 1978. Follow him on Twitter: @RogerReads.
From the editor — May 2013
May 6, 2013 By Leave a Comment
Many of the books in this issue of Notes implicitly enjoin us to look up from the page and head out into nature (or, as my mother would say, “put down that book and go out and play!”). As I write this, we’re just coming off of Screen-Free Week, an annual effort in which young [...]
James Cross Giblin Talks with Roger
May 3, 2013 By Leave a Comment
Jim Giblin has had two long and fruitful careers in children’s books, first as an editor, retiring as publisher of Clarion Books in 1989, and continuing to flourish as an author, most recently of The Rise and Fall of Senator Joe McCarthy (Clarion, 2009). He is currently working on a joint biography of movie pioneers [...]
Editorial: Everybody Wants to Be a Teenager
April 30, 2013 By 3 Comments
I had to chuckle when I first read Jeanne Birdsall’s article (“Middle Grade Saved My Life”) about the attempted land grab by YA of middle-grade books. Not just in recognition, but at how I see this work in sort-of reverse, too: I’ll get calls from writers and publishers of books for adults, asking if their [...]
Early Notes on Early Learning
April 26, 2013 By Leave a Comment
From Dr. Robert Needlman explaining the difference between babies falling asleep and learning how to go to asleep, through Cambridge librarians Julie Roach and Beth McIntyre coaching us through selecting books for preschool story time to Anna Dewdney using photographs to demonstrate how to transform unpleasant expressions on family members faces into picture book gold, [...]
Remembering Elaine Konigsburg
April 23, 2013 By 2 Comments
We mourn the death (last Friday) of E.L. Konigsburg, who never wrote a book I didn’t want to read. (Not that I love them all, but even where she went wrong, she did so magnetically.) I remember a slightly uneasy conversation with Konigsburg’s editor Jean Karl right after Elaine had won her second Newbery Medal [...]
Last Friday and this Thursday
April 22, 2013 By 2 Comments
Boston this week
April 18, 2013 By Leave a Comment
Thanks to all who have emailed, called, texted or tweeted their concern for our safety and well-being. We are all fine. The attack coincided with an all-staff conference call with our New York colleagues, so I didn’t find out about it until later in the day when information was available but fragmentary and spookily fact-free, [...]
Five Questions for Anna Dewdney
April 12, 2013 By Leave a Comment
Llama Llama… author-illustrator and rock star to preschoolers Anna Dewdney will be our special guest at the Fostering Lifelong Learners conference on April 25th, joining in the conversation about making and sharing great books for preschoolers. Here are five questions for her. 1.What did your own children teach you about creating books for preschoolers? My [...]
2013 Zena Sutherland Lecturer Linda Sue Park
April 11, 2013 By Leave a Comment
Linda Sue Park is delivering the 2013 Zena Sutherland Lecture on May 3rd at the Harold Washington Center, Chicago Public Library. Admission is free but reservations are required; go to zenasutherland.eventbrite.com to sign up. I’ll be there and hope you will be too!
