| 
March/April 2008 Horn
Book Magazine

For Dear Genius: The Letters
of Ursula Nordstrom, children’s literature historian
Leonard S. Marcus interviewed many of Nordstrom’s authors
and artists, as well as some co-workers (including former assistant
Margaret
Warner, better known for her current gig on PBS’s NewsHour
with Jim Lehrer). Marcus’s
website connects you to all things Leonard, including citations
for articles where the interviewer is the interviewee.
In 2003, for example, Brian Selznick and editor David Serlin spoke
with Marcus for Cabinet
magazine. More recently, Cynthia Leitich Smith features this
SCBWI
Bologna 2008 profile of Marcus on her blog, Cynsations.
For razor-sharp insights on publishing
and the author/editor relationship, visit
Editorial Anonymous’s blog — always informative
and entertaining for those on either side of the equation.

Lissa Paul looks back at the Modern
Masters Books for Children series, of which Horn Book editor
Ruth Hill Viguers took a
dim view. Back in 1962, Time magazine praised the concept:
“If the new series goes on this way, Dick, Jane, Alice and
Jerry, the soporific heroes and heroines of the best-known U.S.
primers, might finally be put to rest . . . ”
Read
more.

In her profile of Britain’s
Children’s Laureate, Madelyn Travis writes that “[Michael]
Rosen shows children that poetry is more than just incomprehensible
stuff they have to sit through in school . . . ”
Rosen’s website
brings this idea to life in
forty-nine videos, in which he performs his own poems.
Childrenslaureate.org.uk
has lots of information about the award and the award-winners.

Sarah Ellis reviews Lois Lowry’s
new book, The Willoughbys, calling it a “lollipop
of witty metafiction a la Edward Gorey or Lemony Snicket . . .
” Lowry reviews herself in this
Washington Post article, subtitled “In which a chronic
liar grows up to be a celebrated children’s author.”
On her blog,
Lowry offers updates about her life and her work.

Tim Wynne Jones’s Rex
Zero, King of Nothing receives a starred review in this issue.
Clearly he knows what he’s doing, and he shares his knowledge
on his website under
tips for writers.

David Elliott received a star for
his book of domestic-animal poems, On the Farm, but can
he yodel? Find
out on his
website.

Barbara Kerley’s What
to Do about Alice? examines the life of Teddy Roosevelt’s
high-spirited daughter, who’s been quoted as saying: “If
you haven't got anything nice to say about anybody, come sit next
to me.” Read more of her
quotes and a biography.
Curious about other presidents’
children? This
website covers all of them, from George “Wash” Washington
Parke Custis to the Bush twins. The list includes notes about each
presidential kid and several appendices.

Pale Male is pretty famous these
days; his story as told by Janet Schulman and illustrated by Meilo
So is starred in this issue. But did you know he has a MySpace
page? (“Status: In a Relationship. Body type: 2'0"
/ Athletic”). For a more official site and some stunning photographs,
visit palemale.com.
|